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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bark — to shout
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. chair — a leader
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — to eat
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rush — hurry
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. chair — a professorship

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