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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: rule · racket · lie · bark · deal · ruler

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  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. deal — an agreement
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. rule — a law
  4. deal — to handle
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. rule — government
  17. lie — to recline
  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