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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: bay · chest · bark · hand · stand · court · coach · rule

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. bark — to shout
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. court — of a king
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. court — of law
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — a law
  11. hand — help
  12. chest — of your body
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — to bear
  15. chest — of your body
  16. rule — government
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. chest — a box
  21. court — for sport
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. hand — in cards
  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