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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. mark — a grade
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. cue — for pool
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a trace
  7. land — a country
  8. cue — a signal
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. track — a path
  14. track — to keep track
  15. land — to come down
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. bark — to shout
  20. track — a song
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. cue — a hint

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