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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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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: rule · ruler · patient · bear · bark · fine · mouse · pound

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rule — a law
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. bark — to shout
  8. fine — all right
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bear — the animal
  12. fine — high quality
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rule — government
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. fine — a penalty

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