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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: jam · bark · ruler · mark · hand · march · root · stand

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. march — music
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. root — of a plant
  5. mark — a grade
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. hand — help
  9. stand — to bear
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. bark — to shout
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. root — of a word
  18. hand — in cards
  19. march — the month
  20. root — the cause
  21. march — the month
  22. mark — a trace
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bark — of a tree

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