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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.

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
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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: mug · sharp · court · scale · stock · trunk · press · bark

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. mug — to rob
  3. press — newspapers
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. scale — in music
  6. court — of law
  7. court — for sport
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. court — of a king
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — a face
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. stock — shares
  20. bark — to shout
  21. scale — size or range
  22. press — a publisher
  23. stock — goods
  24. trunk — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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