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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: face · track · board · rest · object · bark · racket · bear

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bear — the animal
  3. face — to confront
  4. object — a thing
  5. rest — what's left
  6. face — part of the head
  7. rest — what's left
  8. object — an aim
  9. track — to keep track
  10. object — to protest
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. track — a path
  15. face — to point toward
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. board — to get on
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. track — a song
  23. bark — to shout
  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