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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: bay · bark · court · stick · pop · saw · pound · fine

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pound — a weight
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pop — soda
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pop — music
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. court — of a king
  13. bark — to shout
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. fine — high quality
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of law
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. fine — all right

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