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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: mark · mate · bark · bass · shower · rash · mine · rock

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bark — to shout
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. shower — rain
  8. rash — a series
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. shower — to wash
  12. rock — a stone
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mark — a grade
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. rock — music
  17. rash — hasty
  18. bass — low music
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — the fish
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. mark — to pay attention

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