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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 can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. wake — a trail
  4. staff — employees
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bark — to shout
  7. pop — soda
  8. track — a song
  9. mark — a grade
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. mark — a trace
  12. track — to keep track
  13. cue — a hint
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. pop — to visit
  17. sharp — clever
  18. cue — a signal
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. pop — music
  22. staff — employees
  23. track — a path
  24. wake — before a funeral

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