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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: present · tear · pitcher · fall · racket · bark · arm · object

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. tear — from crying
  3. fall — the season
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. present — there
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. tear — to rip
  13. object — an aim
  14. fall — to drop
  15. object — to protest
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. present — the time now
  18. bark — to shout
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. object — a thing
  22. tear — from crying
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. present — a gift

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