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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 124 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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  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 — for measuring
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. rule — a law
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. date — the fruit
  11. season — of the year
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. season — in sport
  15. scale — in music
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — the underground
  18. rule — government
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. scale — size or range
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. arm — part of the body
  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