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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 116 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: wave · racket · bark · object · saw · stick · last · court

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  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. wave — of the sea
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. last — finally
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. court — for sport
  9. object — to protest
  10. saw — the tool
  11. object — a thing
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. last — final
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. object — an aim
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. court — of law
  20. last — to go on
  21. bark — to shout
  22. court — of a king
  23. saw — the tool
  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