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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: row · ground · bark · mark · leaves · rule · pit · can

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  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. rule — government
  2. mark — a trace
  3. pit — a hole
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. ground — crushed
  6. pit — in a race
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. row — to paddle
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. can — a tin
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. ground — a position
  14. mark — a grade
  15. can — to be able to
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. can — a tin
  18. rule — a law
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. row — a line
  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