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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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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. court — for sport
  5. bore — to tire
  6. court — of law
  7. vault — a safe
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. ball — a great time
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bear — the animal
  21. court — of a king
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bark — to shout
  24. sharp — clever

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