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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 116 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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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: cue · plane · spring · pass · march · mug · mark · bark

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. cue — a signal
  4. pass — a permit
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mug — a face
  7. cue — a hint
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bark — to shout
  10. spring — of water
  11. plane — a tool
  12. march — the month
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mug — to rob
  16. mark — a trace
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. march — the month
  22. cue — for pool
  23. spring — the season
  24. spring — a coil

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