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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
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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: date · cell · stand · ball · mark · key · coach · bark

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. cell — in biology
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. date — the fruit
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. key — for a lock
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. ball — a great time
  17. key — the most important part
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. key — in music
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. cell — a phone
  23. mark — a trace
  24. bark — to shout

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