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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · net · jam · game · drill · cue · snap · bark

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. net — in sport
  5. cue — a hint
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. drill — army training
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. net — after costs
  11. cue — a signal
  12. game — wild animals
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bark — to shout
  15. net — for catching
  16. game — a match
  17. mark — a grade
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. drill — a practice
  21. snap — to click
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a trace
  24. drill — the tool

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