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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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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: ruler · bark · stick · net · swing · track · rule · field

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. field — for sport
  3. swing — to play on
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. field — a subject
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. rule — a law
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. swing — music
  10. track — a song
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — for catching
  13. rule — government
  14. track — to keep track
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. swing — in golf
  17. bark — to shout
  18. field — farmland
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. net — in sport
  22. track — a path
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. ruler — a monarch

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