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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. drill — a practice
  3. court — of a king
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. sharp — clever
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. court — for sport
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. drill — the tool
  12. fork — in a road
  13. court — of law
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — a trace
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bark — to shout
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. arm — part of the body

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