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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. court — for sport
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. court — of a king
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. object — to protest
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. swing — in golf
  11. object — an aim
  12. court — of law
  13. swing — to play on
  14. object — a thing
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bark — to shout
  18. swing — music

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