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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: bark · foot · leaves · jam · kid · ruler

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. bark — to shout
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. kid — child
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — a measure
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. kid — to tease
  18. foot — the bottom

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