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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bore — to tire
  3. present — the time now
  4. present — there
  5. net — after costs
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. root — the cause
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. net — for catching
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. season — in sport
  17. root — of a word
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. root — of a plant
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. present — a gift
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to bend
  24. net — in sport

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