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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 120 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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. band — a ring
  4. band — a music group
  5. bark — to shout
  6. court — of law
  7. present — a gift
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. present — there
  12. court — for sport
  13. present — the time now
  14. snap — to click
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bank — for money
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. bank — of a river
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. bank — for money
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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