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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. object — to protest
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. mate — a partner
  5. firm — a company
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. object — a thing
  11. game — wild animals
  12. rock — a stone
  13. firm — decided
  14. game — a match
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. bark — to shout
  17. object — an aim
  18. mate — a friend
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. firm — steady
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rock — music

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