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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. kick — in football
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bark — to shout
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. chair — a leader
  18. date — the fruit
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. court — of law
  23. court — of a king
  24. court — for sport

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