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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: date · mark · land · bark · cell · ruler · coach · bound

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. land — ground
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bound — tied together
  8. land — a country
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bark — to shout
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. cell — a phone
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. date — the fruit
  22. land — to come down
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. bound — certain

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