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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. drill — a practice
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. mark — a trace
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of law
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — a lid
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. court — of a king
  15. drill — army training
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bark — to shout
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a grade
  20. ball — a dance
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. drill — the tool
  24. ball — a great time

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