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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: cabinet · court · bark · rush · ground · deal · mark · saw

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. ground — crushed
  6. court — for sport
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bark — to shout
  11. saw — the tool
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. court — of a king
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mark — a grade
  17. ground — a position
  18. mark — a trace
  19. ground — the earth
  20. saw — the tool
  21. deal — to handle
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. deal — an agreement

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