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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: track · calf · racket · deal · wake · capital · tear · date

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. date — the fruit
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. tear — from crying
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. track — to keep track
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. capital — a city
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. track — a path
  14. capital — money
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. wake — a trail
  17. tear — from crying
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. track — a song
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. deal — to handle
  24. date — on the calendar

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