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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.

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: foot · court · lean · pop · toast · bark · bear · last

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. court — for sport
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. last — to go on
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. pop — soda
  8. court — of law
  9. lean — to bend
  10. court — of a king
  11. foot — a measure
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. last — finally
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. pop — music
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pop — to visit
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bark — to shout
  23. toast — bread
  24. last — final

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