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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 · rule · stick · race · cell · present · toast · board

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. cell — a phone
  5. race — humankind
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — a contest
  8. board — a committee
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — to get on
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. rule — government
  16. present — there
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cell — in biology
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. present — the time now
  21. toast — bread
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. bark — to shout
  24. present — a gift

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