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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. content — the amount
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bark — to shout
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. content — happy
  14. branch — a division
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. pitch — a sports field

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