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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 116 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: cue · court · game · trunk · bass · bowl · bark · rock

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. court — of law
  3. bass — low music
  4. rock — a stone
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. court — of a king
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. rock — music
  13. bass — the fish
  14. game — a match
  15. cue — a signal
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. court — for sport
  18. cue — a hint
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — wild animals
  21. cue — for pool
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bass — the instrument

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