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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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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: perch · row · mark · ruler · ground · bark · race · pit

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. ground — a position
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — humankind
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pit — a hole
  15. perch — the fish
  16. ground — the earth
  17. bark — to shout
  18. row — to paddle
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. row — a line
  23. race — the arms race
  24. pit — in a race

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