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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: court · bark · present · face · cue · mate · safe · staff

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. staff — a stick
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. present — the time now
  5. face — to confront
  6. cue — a hint
  7. mate — a partner
  8. court — of a king
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. present — a gift
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. face — part of the head
  14. mate — a friend
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. present — there
  18. cue — for pool
  19. staff — employees
  20. court — of law
  21. court — for sport
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. staff — employees
  24. cue — a signal

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