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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: racket · bark · deal · band · shower · face

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. band — a music group
  3. shower — rain
  4. face — to point toward
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. shower — to wash
  7. deal — to handle
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. face — part of the head
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. face — to confront
  15. band — a ring
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. racket — a loud noise

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