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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: ruler · rock · cabinet · safe · shower · stick · field · bark

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. bark — to shout
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. shower — rain
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. shower — to wash
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. field — farmland
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. field — a subject
  20. rock — music
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rock — a stone
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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