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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: bark · leaves · rule · stand · deal · pitcher · cue · bound

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. stand — to bear
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. cue — a hint
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — certain
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bound — obliged
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rule — government
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. deal — to handle
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bark — to shout

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