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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: file · bark · staff · suit · ruler · date · chair · racket

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. date — the fruit
  3. staff — employees
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. bark — to shout
  7. suit — to fit
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. file — a document
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. staff — a stick
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. file — a line of people
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. chair — a leader
  16. file — a tool
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. staff — employees
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. suit — in cards
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. suit — clothes

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