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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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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 · file · racket · cue · wake · roll · bay · content

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. roll — a list
  3. content — the amount
  4. bark — to shout
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. file — a line of people
  8. wake — a trail
  9. cue — a signal
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. file — a tool
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. content — happy
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. cue — for pool
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. file — a document
  23. roll — a cake
  24. wake — before a funeral

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