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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bark — to shout
  3. mate — a friend
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. last — finally
  9. ground — crushed
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — a series
  12. last — to go on
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. last — final
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bulb — for light
  19. ground — the earth
  20. ground — a position
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. pitch — a sports field

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