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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bound — tied together
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bark — to shout
  10. last — finally
  11. last — to go on
  12. last — final
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. kid — to tease
  15. cue — a signal
  16. bound — certain
  17. court — of a king
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bound — obliged
  20. kid — child
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of law
  23. cue — a hint
  24. mug — a cup

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