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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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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: tube · kick · bark · temple · present · fine · mark · cue

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. cue — for pool
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. cue — a signal
  7. present — the time now
  8. kick — in football
  9. bark — to shout
  10. cue — a hint
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. tube — the underground
  13. fine — all right
  14. present — a gift
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. tube — a container
  19. fine — high quality
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. mark — a trace
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. mark — a grade
  24. present — there

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