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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 · rule · ground · roll · bank · cap · stand · object

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. ground — the earth
  3. roll — a list
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bank — for money
  7. object — an aim
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bank — for money
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. object — to protest
  12. bank — of a river
  13. stand — to bear
  14. object — a thing
  15. rule — a law
  16. rule — government
  17. cap — a lid
  18. ground — crushed
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. ground — a position
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bark — to shout
  24. stand — on your feet

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