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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: coach · racket · deal · bark · track · season · hide · plane

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. track — a path
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. plane — a tool
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. track — a song
  11. track — to keep track
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. deal — to handle
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. season — in sport
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. season — of the year

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