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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fork · chair · club · bear · ruler · bark

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bark — to shout
  4. club — for golf
  5. chair — a leader
  6. club — a group
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. fork — in a road
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bark — of a tree

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