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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. mark — a trace
  4. wake — a trail
  5. charge — a price
  6. court — of a king
  7. court — of law
  8. march — the month
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — to shout
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. court — for sport
  15. can — to be able to
  16. march — the month
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. can — a tin
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. can — a tin
  23. charge — in control
  24. march — music

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