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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: ruler · bear · bark · wax · jam · leaves · roll · court

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. bear — the animal
  7. roll — a cake
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. wax — to grow
  15. court — for sport
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bark — to shout
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. roll — a list
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. court — of a king
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. ruler — a monarch

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