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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: rule · can · ground · ball · club · foot · fan · bark

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. ground — crushed
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ground — the earth
  6. foot — a measure
  7. ground — a position
  8. club — for golf
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. rule — a law
  11. ball — a dance
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. can — to be able to
  15. club — for dancing
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. can — a tin
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. can — a tin
  21. club — a group
  22. ball — a great time
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. rule — government

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