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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 116 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: stick · ruler · fall · ball · can · mate · bark · band

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — to breed
  6. fall — to drop
  7. can — a tin
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. band — a ring
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bark — to shout
  12. mate — a friend
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. ball — a dance
  15. can — to be able to
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. ball — a great time
  19. can — a tin
  20. fall — the season
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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