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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — a friend
  5. court — for sport
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. club — a group
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. mate — to breed
  10. pound — a weight
  11. swing — in golf
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. club — for golf
  15. court — of law
  16. club — for dancing
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bear — the animal
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — a trainer

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