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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: mine · ball · bark · club · cue · rash · mark · mate

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. mate — a partner
  4. rash — a series
  5. ball — a great time
  6. mate — to breed
  7. cue — for pool
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — a trace
  10. rash — hasty
  11. cue — a hint
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. club — for golf
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. club — a group
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. club — for dancing
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. bark — to shout
  23. ball — a dance
  24. cue — a signal

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