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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: chip · race · bark · drill · tube · stand · ruler · wax

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. chip — to eat
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. stand — to bear
  6. tube — a container
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. chip — for betting
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. tube — the underground
  13. wax — to grow
  14. race — humankind
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. race — the arms race
  19. bark — to shout
  20. drill — army training
  21. drill — a practice
  22. drill — the tool
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. race — a contest

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