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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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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: bat · mark · pop · pound · bark · swing · sharp · mouse

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pop — music
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pop — soda
  9. sharp — clever
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. swing — in golf
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. swing — to play on
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. swing — music
  20. pound — a weight
  21. bat — the animal
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. pop — to visit
  24. mouse — for a computer

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