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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: racket · date · nail · race · bear · bark · fork · game

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. fork — in a road
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. race — a contest
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. game — a match
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. date — the fruit
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. race — humankind
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. race — the arms race
  24. nail — for a hammer

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