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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. race — the arms race
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bound — certain
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. bound — tied together
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. hand — in cards
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. race — a contest
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. race — humankind
  18. hand — help
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bark — to shout
  21. court — of law
  22. court — for sport
  23. bound — obliged
  24. hand — 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