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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 116 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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. bark — to shout
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. can — a tin
  7. rest — what's left
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. court — of law
  11. can — a tin
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. rest — a break
  15. rock — music
  16. rest — what's left
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — for catching
  19. rock — a stone
  20. net — after costs
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. can — to be able to
  23. court — for sport
  24. court — of a king

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