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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: root · bark · hide · rule · pound · ruler · bear · toast

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. rule — a law
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. root — the cause
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. pound — a weight
  11. bark — to shout
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. rule — government
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. toast — bread
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. root — of a word
  23. bear — to put up with
  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