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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: firm · land · rest · spell · bark · stem · fine · court

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. land — to come down
  3. rest — what's left
  4. land — a country
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. stem — to come from
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. spell — magic
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. court — of law
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. court — of a king
  15. firm — steady
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. firm — a company
  19. firm — decided
  20. fine — all right
  21. court — for sport
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. spell — letters
  24. land — ground

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