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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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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: deal · plane · capital · court · mate · staff · bark · mark

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bark — to shout
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. court — for sport
  6. staff — employees
  7. capital — money
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — to handle
  10. mate — a partner
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. court — of law
  15. mate — to breed
  16. capital — a city
  17. court — of a king
  18. staff — a stick
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. mate — a friend
  21. plane — a tool
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. staff — employees
  24. plane — an aircraft

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