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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: ruler · stick · coach · current · tube · court · bark · fork

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. court — of a king
  6. fork — in a road
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. current — happening now
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. current — electric
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. court — of law
  21. current — of water
  22. tube — a container
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. court — for sport

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