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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. suit — clothes
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. scale — size or range
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. suit — to fit
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. band — a music group
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. suit — in cards
  19. band — a ring
  20. scale — in music
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. row — a line

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