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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: march · fine · bark · foot · stand · court · racket · cue

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. fine — high quality
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. court — of law
  6. march — music
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. fine — all right
  9. cue — for pool
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. march — the month
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. stand — to bear
  15. court — of a king
  16. cue — a hint
  17. foot — a measure
  18. court — for sport
  19. march — the month
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. bark — to shout
  24. foot — part of the body

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