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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: deal · fork · object · date · saw · temple · court · bark

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. court — for sport
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. court — of a king
  7. date — the fruit
  8. fork — in a road
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bark — to shout
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. object — an aim
  20. saw — the tool
  21. object — a thing
  22. deal — to handle
  23. object — to protest
  24. fork — to eat with

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