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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 120 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: bark · mark · ground · march · rule · craft · root · stand

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. ground — the earth
  4. root — of a word
  5. root — the cause
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. craft — a skill
  9. ground — crushed
  10. mark — a trace
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. root — of a plant
  13. mark — a grade
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. rule — a law
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. march — the month
  19. march — music
  20. bark — to shout
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. craft — boats
  23. ground — a position
  24. march — the month

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