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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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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: court · cell · arm · rock · bark · bowl · rest · stand

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. court — of law
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stand — to bear
  16. court — of a king
  17. rock — a stone
  18. court — for sport
  19. cell — a phone
  20. bark — to shout
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. cell — in biology
  23. rock — music
  24. bowl — to roll

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