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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. rule — a law
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bark — to shout
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — a measure
  9. last — to go on
  10. pit — in a race
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. mark — a trace
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. file — a tool
  17. rule — government
  18. file — a document
  19. last — final
  20. mark — a grade
  21. last — finally
  22. file — a line of people
  23. pit — a hole
  24. rule — to rule out

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