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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.

Make a worksheet

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: ball · bark · rush · kick · deal · racket · hide · net

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. deal — to handle
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. net — after costs
  9. bark — to shout
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. net — in sport
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. rush — hurry
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a dance
  19. net — for catching
  20. kick — in football
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. hide — to keep secret

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