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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  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 — of a tree
  2. chair — a leader
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. court — for sport
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. fall — to drop
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bound — certain
  10. bear — the animal
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bound — tied together
  13. fall — to drop
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. court — of a king
  16. bear — the animal
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. court — of law
  20. fall — the season
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bound — obliged
  23. pound — a weight
  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