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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: pitcher · jam · ruler · bark · mark · present · band · spring

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. present — a gift
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. spring — a coil
  5. band — a ring
  6. spring — the season
  7. bark — to shout
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. mark — a trace
  12. spring — of water
  13. present — the time now
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. band — a music group
  21. present — there
  22. mark — a grade
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. bark — of a tree

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