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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: jam · deal · cell · last · bark · ruler

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. cell — a phone
  4. last — to go on
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. cell — in biology
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. deal — to handle
  10. last — final
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. last — finally
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. ruler — a monarch

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