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

Word bank: court · bark · press · fork · cue · cell

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. court — of law
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bark — to shout
  7. court — for sport
  8. cell — a phone
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. press — to push
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cue — a hint
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. court — of a king
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. press — a publisher
  18. fork — in a road

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