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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: deal · bark · lash · pitcher · race · board · date · racket

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  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. date — on the calendar
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. board — a committee
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. race — humankind
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. race — a contest
  15. race — the arms race
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. board — to get on
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. date — the fruit
  22. bark — to shout
  23. board — a flat piece
  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