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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pound · mark · rush · net · stick · spell · mine · bark

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. spell — magic
  3. rush — hurry
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. net — in sport
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. mark — a trace
  10. pound — a weight
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bark — to shout
  15. net — after costs
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. spell — letters
  19. net — for catching
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. spell — a short time
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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