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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.

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: object · rule · drill · calf · foot · court · bark · cabinet

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — the tool
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — an aim
  8. rule — government
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. court — of law
  12. foot — a measure
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. rule — a law
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. object — to protest
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. court — of a king
  22. bark — to shout
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. cabinet — ministers

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