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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. kid — child
  3. present — a gift
  4. bore — to drill
  5. field — for sport
  6. track — a song
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. field — a subject
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bore — to tire
  11. kid — to tease
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bark — to shout
  15. present — the time now
  16. field — farmland
  17. present — there
  18. suit — clothes
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a path
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. suit — in cards
  24. mouse — the animal

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