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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: racket · bound · rash · court · bark · mouse · mug · cap

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  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. bark — of a tree
  2. court — for sport
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mug — a cup
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bound — certain
  7. rash — hasty
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rash — a series
  10. mug — a face
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. court — of law
  16. bark — to shout
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bound — obliged
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bound — tied together
  23. mug — to rob
  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