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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: ruler · file · race · ball · bear · bark

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. race — humankind
  12. race — a contest
  13. file — a tool
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. file — a document
  16. race — the arms race
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bark — to shout

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