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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. ball — a great time
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bass — low music
  8. hand — help
  9. bass — the fish
  10. court — of law
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a dance
  14. court — of a king
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bark — to shout
  18. hand — in cards
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. bank — for money
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. bank — for money
  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