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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: craft · dip · mate · bark · racket · fine · bowl · pitcher

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. dip — to sink
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. craft — a skill
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. mate — to breed
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. craft — boats
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bark — to shout

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