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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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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: club · mark · pass · dip · bark · lash · racket · foot

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. club — a group
  3. foot — a measure
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. dip — to sink
  15. bark — to shout
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. mark — a trace
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. club — for golf
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. club — for dancing
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. pass — to succeed

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