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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: object · leaves · stand · bark · face · march · kid · court

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bark — to shout
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. object — a thing
  7. face — to confront
  8. court — for sport
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. face — part of the head
  12. court — of law
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. court — of a king
  15. object — to protest
  16. kid — to tease
  17. march — the month
  18. stand — to bear
  19. kid — child
  20. face — to point toward
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. march — the month
  23. object — an aim
  24. march — music

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