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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: fall · ruler · board · deal · scale · current · bark · pound

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  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 — of a tree
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. board — a committee
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. fall — the season
  7. board — to get on
  8. scale — in music
  9. pound — a weight
  10. current — electric
  11. deal — to handle
  12. fall — to drop
  13. scale — size or range
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. fall — to drop
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. current — of water
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. current — happening now
  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