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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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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 · bay · kick · pass · pound · court · club · can

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. court — for sport
  3. can — a tin
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. club — for golf
  6. pass — a permit
  7. court — of law
  8. can — to be able to
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. club — for dancing
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. club — a group
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. can — a tin
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bark — to shout
  22. court — of a king
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. kick — in football

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