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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: bark · rush · staff · game · saw · lash · bowl · court

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bark — to shout
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. court — of law
  13. court — for sport
  14. game — wild animals
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. game — a match
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — employees
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. staff — a stick

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