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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 116 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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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: racket · bark · suit · march · rash · board · tube · craft

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. march — the month
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. suit — in cards
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. tube — the underground
  7. rash — hasty
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. march — the month
  10. tube — a container
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. suit — clothes
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. craft — boats
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. rash — a series
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. march — music
  21. craft — a skill
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. board — a committee
  24. board — to get on

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