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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: mouse · bark · mark · snap · pitcher · field · spell · temple

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — a short time
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. field — farmland
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. snap — to click
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. field — for sport
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. field — a subject
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. spell — magic
  24. mark — a grade

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