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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 120 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: track · bay · rule · ruler · prune · stand · season · bark

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. prune — to trim
  4. track — a path
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. stand — to bear
  12. season — in sport
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a song
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. rule — government
  22. prune — to trim
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — to add flavour

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