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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. net — for catching
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bore — to tire
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. charge — in control
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bore — to drill
  12. court — for sport
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. bark — to shout
  15. cue — for pool
  16. court — of a king
  17. cue — a signal
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. net — in sport
  20. charge — a price
  21. tear — to rip
  22. charge — electricity
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. net — after costs

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