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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. club — for dancing
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. club — for golf
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. club — a group
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bark — to shout
  12. court — of law
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pound — a weight
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. court — of a king
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. court — for sport
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. pound — to hit hard

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