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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: cue · pass · bark · nail · mark · cold · date · racket

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. mark — a trace
  6. cue — a hint
  7. pass — a permit
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cold — an illness
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bark — to shout
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cold — not warm
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. date — the fruit
  17. cue — for pool
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. pass — to spend time

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