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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. tear — from crying
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. perch — the fish
  11. tear — to rip
  12. mark — a grade
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. court — for sport
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. mark — a trace
  17. chair — a leader
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. court — of a king
  21. tear — from crying
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. bark — to shout
  24. court — of law

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