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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: mug · ground · temple · rock · bark · shower · charge · court

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bark — to shout
  4. court — of law
  5. shower — to wash
  6. rock — music
  7. shower — rain
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. charge — electricity
  10. mug — to rob
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. charge — a price
  13. mug — a face
  14. charge — in control
  15. ground — a position
  16. mug — a cup
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. ground — the earth
  21. court — for sport
  22. ground — crushed
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. bark — of a tree

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