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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: ruler · saw · bark · drill · nail · roll · wound · stock

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. roll — a list
  4. drill — a practice
  5. stock — shares
  6. wound — an injury
  7. roll — a cake
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wound — an injury
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. drill — the tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. stock — goods
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. drill — army training
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. bark — to shout

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