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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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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bore — to drill
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bore — to tire
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. game — a match
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. prune — to trim
  12. current — of water
  13. pit — in a race
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. ball — a great time
  16. prune — to trim
  17. current — happening now
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. game — wild animals
  20. bark — to shout
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. current — electric
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. game — a kind of play

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