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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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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: wound · net · squash · bowl · rule · bark · ruler · mark

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. net — after costs
  3. rule — government
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bark — to shout
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. net — for catching
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. squash — the sport
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. wound — an injury
  15. squash — to crush
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. wound — an injury
  21. mark — a grade
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. net — in sport
  24. ruler — for measuring

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