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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. cap — of ice
  5. track — to keep track
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. degree — from a university
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. track — a song
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bear — the animal
  14. degree — an amount
  15. degree — temperature
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. cap — a lid
  18. bear — the animal
  19. sharp — clever
  20. cap — a hat
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. track — a path
  24. bark — to shout

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