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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.

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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: pass · bark · jam · cue · dip · mark · content · kid

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. dip — to sink
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. content — happy
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. pass — a permit
  15. kid — child
  16. content — the amount
  17. bark — to shout
  18. cue — for pool
  19. mark — a grade
  20. cue — a signal
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. kid — to tease
  24. dip — to dunk

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