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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 120 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 · racket · trunk · fall · dip · scale · deal · band

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. band — a ring
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. dip — to sink
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — size or range
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. band — a music group
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. fall — to drop
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. scale — in music
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bark — of a tree

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