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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 · current · bark · fork · fine · tear · field · stem

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. stem — to come from
  4. field — for sport
  5. fine — all right
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. current — electric
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. field — farmland
  12. bark — to shout
  13. fork — in a road
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. current — happening now
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — from crying
  19. field — a subject
  20. fine — high quality
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. tear — to rip
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. current — of water

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