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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: bark · stand · season · can · tube · spell · mouse · court

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. stand — to bear
  4. spell — letters
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. can — a tin
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. court — for sport
  10. tube — a container
  11. season — of the year
  12. court — of law
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. spell — a short time
  15. bark — to shout
  16. court — of a king
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. can — to be able to
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. spell — magic
  23. tube — the underground
  24. can — a tin

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