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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: bark · last · bank · foot · racket · mark · craft · game

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. mark — a grade
  3. last — to go on
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. foot — a measure
  10. last — final
  11. game — a match
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bark — to shout
  14. last — finally
  15. bank — of a river
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bank — for money
  18. game — wild animals
  19. bank — for money
  20. mark — a trace
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. mark — to pay attention
  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