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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: mate · chair · bear · suit · bark · rule · staff · fine

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. rule — government
  4. mate — a friend
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. staff — employees
  9. suit — clothes
  10. mate — to breed
  11. staff — a stick
  12. bark — to shout
  13. fine — high quality
  14. rule — a law
  15. chair — a leader
  16. mate — a partner
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. staff — employees
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. suit — in cards
  22. bear — the animal
  23. suit — to fit
  24. fine — a penalty

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