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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.

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: bark · ground · dip · present · wound · rock · racket · shower

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. shower — rain
  3. rock — a stone
  4. wound — an injury
  5. ground — a position
  6. bark — to shout
  7. dip — to sink
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. present — there
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. present — the time now
  13. rock — music
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. wound — an injury
  18. ground — the earth
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. shower — to wash
  21. present — a gift
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. ground — crushed
  24. racket — a loud noise

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