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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: last · ruler · fine · ball · rock · race · bark · perch

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a dance
  5. fine — all right
  6. bark — to shout
  7. rock — a stone
  8. last — finally
  9. last — final
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. race — humankind
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. perch — the fish
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. race — the arms race
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. rock — music
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. race — a contest
  23. fine — high quality
  24. rock — to move gently

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