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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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468
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: foot · craft · dip · temple · racket · bark · bass · bat

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. foot — a measure
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. bark — to shout
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bat — the animal
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. bass — low music
  14. dip — to sink
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a skill
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bass — the fish
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. dip — to dunk

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