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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 120 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: bat · bark · degree · racket · track · suit · craft · wake

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bat — the animal
  6. track — to keep track
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. track — a song
  9. craft — boats
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. degree — from a university
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. track — a path
  16. suit — in cards
  17. craft — a skill
  18. degree — temperature
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. degree — an amount
  24. suit — to fit

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