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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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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: cell · bound · racket · rule · squash · bark

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bark — to shout
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — tied together
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cell — a phone
  12. squash — the sport
  13. bound — certain
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. squash — to crush
  16. rule — government
  17. cell — in biology
  18. rule — a law

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