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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. court — of law
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — size or range
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. rash — hasty
  9. court — for sport
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bear — the animal
  13. snap — to click
  14. pass — a permit
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — to shout
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. scale — in music
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. bear — to put up with

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