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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: spell · bark · present · board · court · nail · squash · leaves

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. squash — the sport
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. court — of a king
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. present — a gift
  8. board — a committee
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bark — to shout
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. present — there
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. present — the time now
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. squash — to crush
  21. spell — magic
  22. spell — letters
  23. court — for sport
  24. court — of law

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