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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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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: rock · face · mate · bark · can · track · court · chip

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. court — for sport
  3. mate — a partner
  4. face — part of the head
  5. track — a song
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. bark — to shout
  8. can — a tin
  9. track — a path
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. rock — music
  12. chip — for betting
  13. court — of law
  14. can — to be able to
  15. mate — to breed
  16. rock — a stone
  17. face — to confront
  18. court — of a king
  19. chip — to eat
  20. face — to point toward
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. can — a tin
  23. track — to keep track
  24. mate — a friend

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