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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 116 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 · club · tear · rule · staff · bound · prune · pound

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. tear — from crying
  3. club — a group
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bound — certain
  10. rule — government
  11. tear — to rip
  12. staff — a stick
  13. pound — a weight
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. prune — to trim
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — employees
  18. club — for golf
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bound — tied together
  21. rule — a law
  22. club — for dancing
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bound — obliged

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