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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: rest · racket · straw · face · content · object · ball · bark

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. face — to point toward
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. ball — a great time
  8. object — an aim
  9. face — to confront
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. object — a thing
  16. face — part of the head
  17. content — the amount
  18. bark — to shout
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. rest — what's left
  21. ball — a dance
  22. object — to protest
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. content — happy

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