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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. cue — a signal
  3. net — for catching
  4. wake — a trail
  5. cue — a hint
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. present — the time now
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. court — for sport
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. court — of a king
  13. net — in sport
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. net — after costs
  18. cue — for pool
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bark — to shout
  22. present — there
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. present — a gift

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