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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 120 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: game · bark · ball · court · suit · firm · can · bay

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. court — of law
  3. can — a tin
  4. ball — a dance
  5. can — a tin
  6. court — for sport
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. game — wild animals
  9. court — of a king
  10. game — a match
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. firm — a company
  13. suit — clothes
  14. bark — to shout
  15. firm — steady
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. firm — decided
  19. suit — to fit
  20. ball — a great time
  21. suit — in cards
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. ball — a round shape

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