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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — of law
  5. shower — to wash
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. shower — rain
  10. craft — boats
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bark — to shout
  15. rash — a series
  16. court — for sport
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. rash — hasty
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bark — of a tree

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