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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: bark · calf · press · court · land · roll · racket · bowl

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. land — a country
  9. land — to come down
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — a publisher
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. land — ground
  16. press — to push
  17. court — for sport
  18. bark — to shout
  19. court — of law
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. roll — a cake
  23. court — of a king
  24. roll — a list

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