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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: date · firm · march · bark · mark · lash · stick · racket

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. march — music
  6. march — the month
  7. date — the fruit
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. firm — steady
  10. mark — a grade
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. firm — a company
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. mark — a trace
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. firm — decided
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bark — to shout
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. march — the month

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