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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. tube — the underground
  7. object — an aim
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. cell — a phone
  13. tube — a container
  14. track — to keep track
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. object — a thing
  19. track — a song
  20. object — to protest
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. track — a path
  24. cell — in biology

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