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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: cap · last · fine · bark · straw · bowl · ruler · stick

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. last — finally
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. cap — of ice
  11. fine — all right
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. last — final
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. last — to go on
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bark — to shout
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fine — high quality
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. cap — a lid
  24. ruler — for measuring

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