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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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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 · pit · key · wave · firm · court · snap · bark

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. court — of law
  4. key — for a lock
  5. firm — steady
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — in music
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. pit — a hole
  12. firm — decided
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. snap — to click
  19. bark — to shout
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. firm — a company
  23. court — of a king
  24. court — for sport

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