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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: bark · court · kick · pit · bowl · ball · lie · foot

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. court — of law
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. court — of a king
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a dance
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. foot — a measure
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. kick — in football
  17. court — for sport
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pit — in a race
  21. lie — to recline
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. bark — to shout

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