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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. rock — music
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of law
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. content — happy
  22. court — of a king
  23. rock — a stone
  24. content — the amount

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