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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: bowl · key · can · suit · court · mark · bark · season

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. court — for sport
  6. mark — a trace
  7. key — the most important part
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. key — in music
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. suit — to fit
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. can — a tin
  18. court — of law
  19. suit — clothes
  20. season — in sport
  21. can — to be able to
  22. season — of the year
  23. can — a tin
  24. court — of a king

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