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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: court · current · coach · wake · wave · bark · hand · rash

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. current — electric
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. current — happening now
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bark — to shout
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. current — of water
  13. court — of a king
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — hasty
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. court — of law
  22. court — for sport
  23. hand — help
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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