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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. court — of law
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. game — a match
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. game — wild animals
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. court — of a king
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — a series
  20. court — for sport
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. bark — to shout
  24. fan — a supporter

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