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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bark · mine · mug · track · stand · foot · tear · court

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. tear — from crying
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. mug — a face
  6. mine — for digging
  7. track — a path
  8. tear — to rip
  9. mug — a cup
  10. track — to keep track
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. court — of law
  15. stand — to bear
  16. foot — a measure
  17. track — a song
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of a king
  20. bark — to shout
  21. tear — from crying
  22. mug — to rob
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. mine — an explosive

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