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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: fork · wound · leaves · deal · date · court · bass · mark

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. wound — an injury
  3. court — of law
  4. mark — a grade
  5. court — for sport
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fork — in a road
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. deal — to handle
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — the fruit
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. court — of a king
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bass — the fish
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. bass — low music
  23. mark — a trace
  24. fork — to eat with

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