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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. lean — thin
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. fine — all right
  7. pound — a weight
  8. press — newspapers
  9. court — for sport
  10. rest — what's left
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. face — to confront
  13. fine — high quality
  14. press — a publisher
  15. bark — to shout
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. lean — to bend
  19. rest — a break
  20. press — to push
  21. court — of law
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. face — part of the head
  24. rest — what's left

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