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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 120 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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. cue — for pool
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bark — to shout
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. stand — to bear
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wound — an injury
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. pound — a weight
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. drill — army training
  19. cue — a hint
  20. drill — the tool
  21. cue — a signal
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. drill — a practice

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