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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: game · bark · object · plane · mate · tear · cue · deal

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. game — wild animals
  3. bark — to shout
  4. plane — a tool
  5. cue — for pool
  6. object — a thing
  7. tear — from crying
  8. cue — a hint
  9. object — an aim
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. object — to protest
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. game — a match
  15. tear — to rip
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — to handle
  18. cue — a signal
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mate — to breed
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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