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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. bulb — for light
  3. stock — shares
  4. bore — to tire
  5. content — the amount
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. pit — a hole
  11. content — happy
  12. bark — to shout
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. track — a song
  19. stock — goods
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bulb — for light
  22. track — a path
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. bore — to drill

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