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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: fan · content · leaves · bark · board · pit · court · stick

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  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. fan — to cool the air
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. court — of a king
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — in a race
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. court — for sport
  12. content — happy
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. board — to get on
  16. bark — to shout
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. content — the amount
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. bark — of a tree
  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