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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. court — of a king
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. court — of law
  5. hand — in cards
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. ground — crushed
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. fork — in a road
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. ground — the earth
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. hand — help
  16. court — for sport
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a ring
  24. ground — a position

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