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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. cell — a phone
  4. current — electric
  5. bark — to shout
  6. rock — a stone
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — in a race
  9. cell — in biology
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. current — of water
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — to handle
  19. bore — to tire
  20. current — happening now
  21. mark — a grade
  22. bore — to drill
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. cell — in a prison

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