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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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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: mark · track · pass · cue · perch · squash · bark · rest

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pass — a permit
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a grade
  5. rest — a break
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cue — a hint
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. track — to keep track
  10. cue — for pool
  11. track — a path
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bark — to shout
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. mark — a trace
  18. rest — what's left
  19. squash — the sport
  20. perch — the fish
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. track — a song

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