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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: racket · bank · sharp · mate · ball · fork · bark · court

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mate — a partner
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. court — for sport
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bank — for money
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a great time
  16. bank — for money
  17. mate — a friend
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bark — to shout
  21. fork — in a road
  22. court — of a king
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bank — of a river

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