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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
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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: ground · chest · bark · net · pass · cue · wound · mark

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — a trace
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. net — for catching
  6. ground — the earth
  7. pass — a permit
  8. bark — to shout
  9. cue — a signal
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — crushed
  13. net — after costs
  14. cue — for pool
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. net — in sport
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. chest — a box

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