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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bear — the animal
  3. cue — a hint
  4. chest — a box
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bear — the animal
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. chest — of your body
  9. cue — a signal
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. cue — for pool
  14. mark — a grade
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — a permit
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fork — a garden tool

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