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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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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: court · bark · charge · nail · foot · land · rock · mug

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. land — a country
  3. foot — a measure
  4. land — ground
  5. mug — to rob
  6. rock — music
  7. mug — a face
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — in control
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. rock — a stone
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — for sport
  16. charge — a price
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. court — of law
  21. mug — a cup
  22. land — to come down
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bark — to shout

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