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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. band — a music group
  4. track — a song
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bark — to shout
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. can — a tin
  12. track — a path
  13. can — a tin
  14. scale — in music
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. scale — size or range
  21. rule — a law
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. rule — government
  24. trunk — of a car

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