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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: chip · leaves · pitcher · kick · season · bank · court · bark

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. season — in sport
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bank — for money
  9. season — of the year
  10. court — of law
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. bark — to shout
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. chip — for betting
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. kick — in football
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. court — of a king
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. chip — to eat
  22. court — for sport
  23. bank — for money
  24. bark — of a tree

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