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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.

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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: race · mine · fine · bark · bore · pit · straw · court

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bore — to drill
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. court — of law
  6. bore — to tire
  7. race — the arms race
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — all right
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. court — for sport
  18. race — a contest
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. race — humankind
  21. pit — in a race
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. pit — a hole
  24. court — of a king

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