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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: bark · shower · track · present · racket · wave · last · wake

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. track — a path
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. present — a gift
  7. track — to keep track
  8. wake — a trail
  9. present — the time now
  10. track — a song
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. present — there
  14. shower — rain
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. last — to go on
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. last — finally
  20. shower — to wash
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. last — final
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. racket — for tennis

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