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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 116 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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bear — the animal
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — after costs
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. court — for sport
  7. net — for catching
  8. pit — in a race
  9. court — of a king
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bear — the animal
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. court — of law
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bank — for money
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. club — a group
  19. bark — to shout
  20. pit — a hole
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. club — for golf
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bank — for money

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