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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 · tear · rule · mark · pop · craft · bay · bass

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. pop — to visit
  4. tear — from crying
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. craft — boats
  7. mark — a trace
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. bass — low music
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bass — the fish
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. mark — a grade
  16. pop — soda
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. pop — music
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. rule — government
  22. rule — a law
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. craft — a skill

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