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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 · foot · ruler · squash · chair · mouse · net · land

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. land — a country
  3. land — to come down
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bark — to shout
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. net — for catching
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. net — in sport
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. chair — a leader
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. squash — the sport
  16. land — ground
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. foot — a measure
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. net — after costs

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