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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.

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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: bark · bear · drill · mark · court · bore · cabinet · mug

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. mug — a cup
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bark — to shout
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. court — of law
  12. bore — to drill
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bear — the animal
  16. drill — a practice
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mark — a grade
  20. drill — army training
  21. court — for sport
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. mug — a face

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