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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 116 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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. drill — the tool
  4. race — humankind
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bark — to shout
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. rule — government
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. race — a contest
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. ball — a great time
  16. drill — army training
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. deal — to handle
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. rule — a law
  21. race — the arms race
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. drill — a practice

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