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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 · patient · track · bark · snap · mug · charge · rash

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. charge — in control
  4. track — a song
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. snap — to click
  9. track — to keep track
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bark — to shout
  12. mug — a cup
  13. charge — electricity
  14. court — of a king
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. track — a path
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. rash — a series
  19. mug — to rob
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. mug — a face
  23. charge — a price
  24. court — for sport

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