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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.

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: ground · perch · coach · cue · mark · spring · race · bark

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. perch — the fish
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. race — humankind
  5. mark — a grade
  6. ground — the earth
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. race — the arms race
  11. spring — of water
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bark — to shout
  14. spring — the season
  15. ground — a position
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. ground — crushed
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. spring — a coil
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. cue — for pool
  22. race — a contest
  23. mark — a trace
  24. cue — a signal

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