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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: cap · bark · mate · chip · plane · ruler · rock · stick

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bark — to shout
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. cap — a hat
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — music
  9. plane — a tool
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. mate — a partner
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mate — to breed
  19. cap — of ice
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. cap — a lid
  23. chip — to eat
  24. plane — an aircraft

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