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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 120 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to drill
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. stem — to come from
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. chair — a leader
  12. object — a thing
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. object — to protest
  17. bark — to shout
  18. object — an aim
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. stem — of a plant

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