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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 120 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: fan · court · mark · vault · bark · row · ruler · rule

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. row — to paddle
  7. rule — government
  8. mark — a grade
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. rule — a law
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. row — a line
  14. bark — to shout
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — for sport
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. court — of law
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mark — a trace
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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