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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: field · rule · bark · ruler · spell · pass · fan · pop

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bark — to shout
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. pop — to visit
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. field — for sport
  8. spell — magic
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. pop — soda
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pop — music
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. field — farmland
  15. rule — a law
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. field — a subject
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. spell — a short time
  23. rule — government
  24. spell — letters

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