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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: bark · toast · jam · saw · fall · net · cue · ball

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — for catching
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. fall — the season
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. bark — to shout
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. cue — for pool
  11. net — after costs
  12. fall — to drop
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. saw — the tool
  16. ball — a great time
  17. toast — bread
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. ball — a dance
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. fall — to drop
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — a signal
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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