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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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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: bay · bark · racket · chair · club · ruler · march · trunk

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. club — a group
  3. march — music
  4. bark — to shout
  5. march — the month
  6. march — the month
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. chair — a leader
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. club — for golf
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  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