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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: mouse · mug · dip · board · racket · court · spell · bark

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. spell — letters
  3. mug — a face
  4. court — of a king
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mug — a cup
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. court — for sport
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. court — of law
  18. bark — to shout
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to sink
  21. mug — to rob
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — a short time
  24. board — a committee

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