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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 120 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: pass · bark · fine · court · can · chest · fork · present

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. chest — of your body
  3. fork — in a road
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — of law
  7. fine — high quality
  8. present — a gift
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. present — the time now
  11. fine — all right
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. chest — a box
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. pass — a permit
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. court — for sport
  23. present — there
  24. bark — of a tree

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