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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  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. ground — the earth
  2. bark — to shout
  3. court — for sport
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. spell — a short time
  7. court — of law
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. court — of a king
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. fine — high quality
  17. spell — letters
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. ground — a position
  20. spell — magic
  21. fine — all right
  22. ground — crushed
  23. patient — a sick person
  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