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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. ground — the earth
  5. mark — a trace
  6. rule — government
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. present — a gift
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. ground — a position
  15. wind — moving air
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bark — to shout
  19. rule — a law
  20. present — the time now
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. present — there
  24. ground — crushed

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