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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 · saw · staff · bay · mine · ruler · capital · rock

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. staff — a stick
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. rock — a stone
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. capital — a city
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. mine — for digging
  15. capital — money
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rock — music
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. saw — the tool

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