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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: trunk · court · bark · stick · object · squash · mine · key

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. object — a thing
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mine — for digging
  10. court — of law
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bark — to shout
  13. key — the most important part
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. court — of a king
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. key — in music
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. squash — the sport
  20. court — for sport
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. object — an aim
  24. key — for a lock

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