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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bark · file · court · suit · kick · rest · bass · squash

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bass — the fish
  3. suit — clothes
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. suit — in cards
  7. rest — what's left
  8. squash — the sport
  9. court — of a king
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. suit — to fit
  12. court — of law
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. bass — low music
  19. file — a document
  20. court — for sport
  21. file — a tool
  22. kick — in football
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — a break

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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