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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 124 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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. rule — a law
  4. bark — to shout
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — to eat
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. band — a ring
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — government
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. row — to paddle
  15. game — a match
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. game — wild animals
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. band — a music group
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. row — a line

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