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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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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 · toast · bark · bowl · mark · bear · object · chest

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. chest — of your body
  5. mark — a grade
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. object — a thing
  8. object — an aim
  9. toast — bread
  10. bark — to shout
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bear — the animal
  21. chest — a box
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. object — to protest
  24. mark — a trace

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