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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bark — to shout
  3. court — of a king
  4. cap — of ice
  5. mark — a grade
  6. cap — a hat
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. capital — money
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. court — of law
  13. band — a ring
  14. capital — a city
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. court — for sport
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. patient — a sick person

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