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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: vault · bark · perch · wound · mug · mark · court · suit

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. suit — to fit
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mug — a face
  7. bark — to shout
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — an injury
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. court — for sport
  14. mug — a cup
  15. vault — a safe
  16. mug — to rob
  17. perch — the fish
  18. court — of law
  19. suit — clothes
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. suit — in cards
  22. mark — a trace
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. perch — for a bird

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