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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: ground · rule · mark · charge · land · straw · bark · deal

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. rule — government
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. mark — a trace
  7. charge — in control
  8. land — to come down
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. charge — electricity
  11. ground — a position
  12. charge — a price
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. bark — to shout
  15. deal — to handle
  16. land — ground
  17. land — a country
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. rule — a law
  21. ground — crushed
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. straw — dry grass

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