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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 · staff · pitcher · wave · wound · ground · rush

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. ground — a position
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — a stick
  8. ground — the earth
  9. staff — employees
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. ground — crushed
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. wound — an injury
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bark — to shout
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. wound — an injury

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