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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. court — of law
  3. court — of a king
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. bark — to shout
  8. court — for sport
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wake — a trail
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mark — a grade
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. chair — a leader
  22. mark — a trace
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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