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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 120 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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. court — of a king
  3. court — of law
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. charge — electricity
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. charge — in control
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. court — for sport
  13. cold — an illness
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bark — to shout
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cold — not warm
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. charge — a price
  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