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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: rest · bark · rock · ball · land · racket · calf · bass

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  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. bark — a dog's sound
  2. rock — music
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rest — a break
  7. bass — low music
  8. land — to come down
  9. ball — a great time
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bass — the fish
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rock — a stone
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. land — ground
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. land — a country
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. rest — what's left
  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