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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bark · wake · plane · key · pop · racket · track · kick

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — to visit
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. key — for a lock
  6. track — a path
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wake — a trail
  13. kick — in football
  14. key — in music
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — a tool
  17. bark — to shout
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. key — the most important part
  20. track — a song
  21. pop — music
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. track — to keep track
  24. bark — of a tree

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