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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. field — a subject
  6. track — a song
  7. track — a path
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. track — to keep track
  10. deal — to handle
  11. game — wild animals
  12. pop — to visit
  13. field — for sport
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. pop — soda
  20. game — a match
  21. field — farmland
  22. bore — to tire
  23. pop — music
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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