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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: leaves · racket · mate · deal · court · foot · bark · firm

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. firm — steady
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. court — of a king
  6. firm — a company
  7. foot — a measure
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — a partner
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. court — for sport
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. court — of law
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. firm — decided
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. mate — to breed
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. deal — to handle
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. racket — for tennis

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