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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — a stone
  4. mark — a grade
  5. cell — a phone
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. track — a path
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. track — a song
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. ground — the earth
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. ground — a position
  16. toast — bread
  17. cell — in biology
  18. track — to keep track
  19. rock — music
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. ground — crushed
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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