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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: fork · chair · club · bear · ruler · bark · cue · pound

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. club — a group
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. club — for dancing
  6. fork — in a road
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bark — to shout
  9. pound — a weight
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. bear — the animal
  14. chair — a leader
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cue — for pool
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. club — for golf
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. cue — a hint

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