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

Word bank: cold · date · bark · bank · stick · ruler

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. cold — an illness
  6. bank — of a river
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. cold — not warm
  12. date — the fruit
  13. bank — for money
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bank — for money
  18. stick — to attach or keep to

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