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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. chair — a leader
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bark — to shout
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. track — to keep track
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. suit — in cards
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bat — the animal
  12. rule — government
  13. suit — clothes
  14. track — a song
  15. suit — to fit
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. track — a path
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bore — to drill
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. rule — a law
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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