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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: leaves · court · march · arm · fork · bark · pitcher · lash

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bark — to shout
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. march — music
  5. march — the month
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. fork — in a road
  8. court — of law
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. court — for sport
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. march — the month
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. court — of a king
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. leaves — lets stay

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