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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.

Words on the sheet
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: racket · fork · drill · mark · mouse · saw · bark · bass

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. drill — army training
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mark — a grade
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. fork — in a road
  11. drill — a practice
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. bass — the fish
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mark — a trace
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bass — low music
  23. drill — the tool
  24. bass — the instrument

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