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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
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: ball · bark · court · season · stick · pit · bay · can

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. pit — a hole
  3. can — a tin
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. court — of law
  6. bark — to shout
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. ball — a dance
  11. court — for sport
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. pit — in a race
  14. court — of a king
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. season — in sport
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. can — a tin
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. season — of the year

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