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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. scale — size or range
  8. march — the month
  9. prune — to trim
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. march — the month
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. scale — in music
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bark — to shout
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. prune — to trim
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — to eat
  23. march — music
  24. prune — the fruit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com