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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 116 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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bank — of a river
  4. court — of a king
  5. prune — to trim
  6. rash — hasty
  7. pop — music
  8. court — for sport
  9. bore — to drill
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. pit — in a race
  15. court — of law
  16. bank — for money
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. bank — for money
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. rash — a series
  24. pop — soda

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