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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: ruler · ball · hand · bear · fork · club · bark · capital

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  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 — in cards
  2. club — a group
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bark — to shout
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. club — for golf
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. capital — money
  13. capital — a city
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. hand — help
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bear — the animal
  20. club — for dancing
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. fork — in a road
  23. ball — a great time
  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