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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: track · rule · bound · bowl · racket · rush · bark · bear

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bound — tied together
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. track — a path
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. rule — a law
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. track — to keep track
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. track — a song
  14. bear — the animal
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — obliged
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rule — government
  23. bark — to shout
  24. rush — to hurry

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