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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. court — of a king
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bark — to shout
  5. row — to paddle
  6. stand — to bear
  7. pop — music
  8. pop — soda
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. snap — to click
  12. court — for sport
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. court — of law
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. pop — to visit
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. key — for a lock
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. key — the most important part
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. row — a line

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