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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. can — a tin
  3. march — music
  4. spring — of water
  5. chip — for betting
  6. can — to be able to
  7. chip — to eat
  8. court — for sport
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. court — of a king
  12. spring — a coil
  13. march — the month
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. march — the month
  16. can — a tin
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a leader
  19. pitch — completely
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. spring — the season
  23. court — of law
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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