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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mark · mine · staff · can · bark · dip · cold · pit

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bark — to shout
  4. cold — an illness
  5. can — a tin
  6. cold — not warm
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. can — to be able to
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. staff — employees
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. staff — employees
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — a grade
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. pit — in a race
  20. dip — to sink
  21. pit — a hole
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. staff — a stick
  24. can — a tin

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