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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: fork · degree · suit · wake · bark · bay · mark · mine

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  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 — a trace
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. mine — for digging
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. suit — in cards
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. wake — a trail
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mark — a grade
  12. suit — to fit
  13. bark — to shout
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. suit — clothes
  16. degree — temperature
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. degree — from a university
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. fork — in a road
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wake — before a funeral
  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