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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: firm · rule · wound · can · rash · pitcher · bark · arm

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. bark — to shout
  4. rash — hasty
  5. firm — decided
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rash — a series
  15. wound — an injury
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. firm — a company
  18. rule — government
  19. can — a tin
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. can — to be able to
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. firm — steady
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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