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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 120 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: bass · pit · ball · mark · last · spring · bark · rush

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. spring — of water
  6. mark — a grade
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bass — low music
  9. last — to go on
  10. ball — a dance
  11. spring — the season
  12. ball — a great time
  13. last — finally
  14. pit — a hole
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bark — to shout
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bass — the fish
  24. last — final

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