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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: stick · spell · content · bore · rash · bay · court · bark

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. content — happy
  5. rash — a series
  6. court — of law
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of a king
  13. content — the amount
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bore — to drill
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bore — to tire
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — letters
  24. rash — on the skin

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