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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 116 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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bulb — for light
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. court — of a king
  7. branch — a division
  8. kid — child
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. key — in music
  11. court — for sport
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. bulb — for light
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. key — the most important part
  18. kid — to tease
  19. court — of law
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bark — to shout
  22. chair — a leader
  23. key — for a lock
  24. bore — gave birth

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