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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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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 · craft · stand · ruler · chair · pit · can · tear

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  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. chair — a professorship
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. stand — to bear
  4. pit — a hole
  5. craft — boats
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. can — to be able to
  12. pit — in a race
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. chair — a leader
  19. bark — to shout
  20. can — a tin
  21. craft — a skill
  22. can — a tin
  23. craft — a handicraft
  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