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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: game · mug · fine · rash · court · track · chair · bark

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. mug — to rob
  3. track — a song
  4. rash — hasty
  5. mug — a cup
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. game — wild animals
  10. track — to keep track
  11. court — for sport
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. track — a path
  14. court — of law
  15. fine — high quality
  16. court — of a king
  17. mug — a face
  18. chair — a leader
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. fine — all right
  22. rash — a series
  23. game — a match
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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