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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: face · court · racket · bear · staff · bark · wake · kid

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. court — of a king
  3. bear — the animal
  4. kid — child
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. staff — employees
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. face — part of the head
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of law
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — a trail
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bear — the animal
  20. face — to confront
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. kid — to tease
  23. staff — employees
  24. face — to point toward

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