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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 116 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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bark — to shout
  3. net — after costs
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. cap — of ice
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. net — in sport
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. rash — a series
  19. cap — a hat
  20. net — for catching
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. bear — to put up with

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