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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: suit · ball · degree · wound · rule · bay · object · bark

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. suit — to fit
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. degree — an amount
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. suit — in cards
  9. object — to protest
  10. rule — a law
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. object — a thing
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. object — an aim
  15. rule — government
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. bark — to shout
  18. ball — a dance
  19. degree — from a university
  20. wound — an injury
  21. degree — temperature
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. suit — clothes
  24. ball — a great time

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