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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: bear · straw · racket · court · bark · board · staff · foot

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. staff — employees
  3. bear — the animal
  4. court — of law
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of a king
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bark — to shout
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bear — the animal
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a committee
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. staff — a stick
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. staff — employees

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