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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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Word bank
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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: bark · firm · track · row · game · ruler · rash · kick

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. row — to paddle
  3. track — a song
  4. rash — a series
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. kick — in football
  7. firm — a company
  8. track — to keep track
  9. row — a line
  10. firm — decided
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bark — to shout
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. rash — hasty
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. game — a match
  22. track — a path
  23. firm — steady
  24. rash — on the skin

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