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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. present — a gift
  4. present — the time now
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. present — there
  7. court — of law
  8. wax — to grow
  9. bark — to shout
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. mark — a grade
  14. court — for sport
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. bank — for money
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. mark — a trace
  24. bank — for money

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