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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. root — of a plant
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. land — to come down
  8. drill — army training
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bark — to shout
  12. land — ground
  13. root — of a word
  14. content — the amount
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. root — the cause
  19. drill — a practice
  20. land — a country
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. content — happy
  24. drill — the tool

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