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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: bark · wake · trunk · court · board · fine · wound · leaves

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. court — of a king
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. board — to get on
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. wake — a trail
  9. fine — high quality
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. court — for sport
  12. board — a committee
  13. court — of law
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. wound — an injury
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. bark — to shout
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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