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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: nail · wound · ground · cue · plane · track · deal · bark

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. ground — the earth
  6. deal — to handle
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. track — to keep track
  9. wound — an injury
  10. plane — a tool
  11. cue — a signal
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. bark — to shout
  14. wound — an injury
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. ground — a position
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. track — a song
  20. ground — crushed
  21. track — a path
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cue — a hint
  24. plane — an aircraft

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