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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. rush — hurry
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — after costs
  5. court — of a king
  6. suit — clothes
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. suit — to fit
  9. net — for catching
  10. court — for sport
  11. bark — to shout
  12. object — a thing
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. object — to protest
  15. rash — hasty
  16. roll — a list
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — a series
  20. court — of law
  21. roll — a cake
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. suit — in cards
  24. rush — to hurry

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