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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: bark · snap · mug · court · rash · jam · net · drill

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. court — of law
  5. net — in sport
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. drill — army training
  8. snap — to click
  9. drill — the tool
  10. net — for catching
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. mug — to rob
  13. drill — a practice
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bark — to shout
  16. court — of a king
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. mug — a face
  19. net — after costs
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — a series
  22. court — for sport
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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