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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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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: chip · staff · court · sharp · rock · bark · club · bear

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. sharp — clever
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. staff — a stick
  7. rock — a stone
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. club — for dancing
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — to eat
  12. club — a group
  13. staff — employees
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bark — to shout
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. rock — music
  19. bear — the animal
  20. staff — employees
  21. bear — the animal
  22. court — of law
  23. court — for sport
  24. club — for golf

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