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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: pound · bark · mark · cue · chest · bear · march · fine

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. cue — a hint
  3. mark — a grade
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. march — the month
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. bear — the animal
  12. chest — of your body
  13. pound — a weight
  14. mark — a trace
  15. cue — a signal
  16. bark — to shout
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. march — music
  20. chest — a box
  21. fine — all right
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. fine — high quality
  24. march — the month

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