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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: last · deal · mate · tear · bark · bear · current · racket

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. current — happening now
  3. last — to go on
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. current — electric
  7. mate — to breed
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. last — finally
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — a friend
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bear — the animal
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. tear — from crying
  17. last — final
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. current — of water
  24. tear — to rip

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