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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
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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: firm · deal · march · board · bark · snap · net · court

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. court — for sport
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. deal — to handle
  5. board — to get on
  6. court — of a king
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. net — after costs
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. march — the month
  15. net — in sport
  16. firm — steady
  17. court — of law
  18. firm — decided
  19. march — music
  20. snap — to click
  21. firm — a company
  22. bark — to shout
  23. net — for catching
  24. board — a committee

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