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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: ruler · firm · rash · row · bark · pit · race · kick

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. firm — decided
  3. row — to paddle
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. kick — in football
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bark — to shout
  11. rash — a series
  12. race — the arms race
  13. firm — a company
  14. race — a contest
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. firm — steady
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. race — humankind
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. row — a line
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. rash — hasty

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