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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. land — to come down
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bass — low music
  6. bark — to shout
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. land — a country
  9. bass — the fish
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. land — ground
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. can — a tin
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. game — wild animals
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. cue — for pool
  22. vault — a safe
  23. can — a tin
  24. game — a match

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