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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 · bound · band · net · bear · pitcher · bark · root

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. root — of a word
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. net — after costs
  6. root — of a plant
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. root — the cause
  11. bound — certain
  12. net — in sport
  13. net — for catching
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bound — tied together
  17. band — a ring
  18. band — a music group
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. pitcher — a jug

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