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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bark · pitch · mark · court · bay · bulb · calf · current

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bark — to shout
  6. court — of a king
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. current — of water
  13. court — of law
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. current — electric
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. mark — a trace
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. court — for sport
  23. pitch — completely
  24. current — happening now

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