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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: bark · pop · ruler · date · prune · stick · game · cabinet

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. date — the fruit
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. prune — to trim
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. pop — soda
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. pop — music
  15. game — wild animals
  16. pop — to visit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. game — a match
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. bark — to shout

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