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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
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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: bark · track · jam · court · cold · firm · foot · craft

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. cold — an illness
  5. bark — to shout
  6. track — a path
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. track — to keep track
  9. court — of law
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — decided
  15. craft — boats
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. track — a song
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. cold — not warm
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. foot — a measure
  22. firm — steady
  23. court — of a king
  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