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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 120 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: bark · ruler · pound · band · chair · mark · coach · prune

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. mark — a grade
  3. band — a ring
  4. pound — a weight
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. bark — to shout
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. prune — to trim
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. band — a music group
  19. chair — a leader
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. prune — to trim

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