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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: leaves · court · season · bark · deal · toast · row · scale

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — in music
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. season — of the year
  7. deal — to handle
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. court — of law
  11. row — a line
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — for sport
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. scale — size or range
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. season — in sport
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. bark — to shout
  21. toast — bread
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. row — to paddle
  24. season — to add flavour

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