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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. mug — to rob
  4. field — for sport
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bore — to tire
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. field — a subject
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. cue — a signal
  13. mug — a face
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — high quality
  17. bark — to shout
  18. cue — for pool
  19. bore — to drill
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. cue — a hint
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rest — what's left
  24. field — farmland

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