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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bore — to drill
  4. ball — a dance
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. stem — to come from
  11. land — a country
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bark — to shout
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. bore — to tire
  16. ball — a great time
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. land — ground
  23. land — to come down
  24. mug — a face

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