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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. bark — to shout
  3. court — of a king
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cue — a signal
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — a company
  9. court — for sport
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. drill — army training
  12. firm — steady
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. court — of law
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. drill — a practice
  22. drill — the tool
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. cue — a hint

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