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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: bark · coach · tear · suit · rock · date · rash · ball

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. suit — clothes
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. tear — from crying
  6. rock — music
  7. ball — a dance
  8. rash — a series
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. date — the fruit
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. tear — from crying
  13. suit — to fit
  14. tear — to rip
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rash — hasty
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bark — to shout
  20. suit — in cards
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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