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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: jam · face · bark · pit · degree · drill · mark · mug

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mug — to rob
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. face — part of the head
  5. drill — the tool
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a hole
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. mug — a face
  12. degree — temperature
  13. degree — an amount
  14. mark — a grade
  15. degree — from a university
  16. drill — a practice
  17. face — to confront
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. bark — to shout
  20. drill — army training
  21. mug — a cup
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. mark — a trace
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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