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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: net · object · calf · last · row · bark · tear · racket

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. object — a thing
  3. last — to go on
  4. row — to paddle
  5. net — in sport
  6. bark — to shout
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. last — finally
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — to rip
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. net — for catching
  13. row — a line
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. tear — from crying
  16. object — to protest
  17. net — after costs
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. object — an aim
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. last — final

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