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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. swing — to play on
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. net — in sport
  6. court — of a king
  7. stand — to bear
  8. court — for sport
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. mug — a cup
  11. plane — a tool
  12. deal — to handle
  13. mug — a face
  14. net — after costs
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. net — for catching
  17. swing — music
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. court — of law
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bark — to shout
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. mug — to rob
  24. stand — on your feet

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