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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: mark · pass · mug · bark · spell · band · sharp · perch

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — a grade
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. mug — to rob
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. band — a music group
  8. pass — a permit
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. sharp — clever
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. spell — magic
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. spell — a short time
  18. band — a ring
  19. spell — letters
  20. perch — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. mug — a cup
  24. bark — to shout

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