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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: perch · hide · court · toast · ball · bark · pass · fall

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. court — of a king
  3. pass — a permit
  4. fall — the season
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. perch — the fish
  10. court — for sport
  11. fall — to drop
  12. toast — bread
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. ball — a great time
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bark — to shout
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. perch — for a bird

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