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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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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: bark · branch · lie · court · lean · deal · fork · key

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. court — of law
  3. key — in music
  4. court — for sport
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. key — for a lock
  7. court — of a king
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. branch — a division
  12. bark — to shout
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. fork — in a road
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. key — the most important part
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lean — to bend
  24. branch — of a bank

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