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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 116 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
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 · band · court · chip · bark · mouse · degree · bear

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. degree — temperature
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. degree — from a university
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. court — of law
  13. court — for sport
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. degree — an amount
  19. chip — for betting
  20. band — a ring
  21. court — of a king
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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