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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. net — after costs
  5. bark — to shout
  6. club — a group
  7. suit — to fit
  8. suit — in cards
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. bore — to drill
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. stand — to bear
  14. net — for catching
  15. kick — in football
  16. club — for dancing
  17. net — in sport
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bore — to tire
  20. club — for golf
  21. suit — clothes
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. racket — for tennis

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