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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. chest — of your body
  3. court — of law
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. chest — a box
  6. pass — a permit
  7. drill — the tool
  8. bank — for money
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. drill — a practice
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. court — of a king
  17. bark — to shout
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. mark — a trace
  21. bank — for money
  22. court — for sport
  23. chest — of your body
  24. drill — army training

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