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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bound — tied together
  3. can — to be able to
  4. bound — obliged
  5. stock — goods
  6. can — a tin
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. court — of law
  10. club — a group
  11. club — for dancing
  12. court — for sport
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. can — a tin
  15. court — of a king
  16. club — for golf
  17. ball — a great time
  18. stock — shares
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bound — certain
  23. ball — a dance
  24. mine — belonging to me

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