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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. prune — to trim
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bank — for money
  8. drill — army training
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. march — music
  11. drill — the tool
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. bank — for money
  14. prune — to trim
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. bank — of a river
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. drill — a practice
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bore — to drill
  21. march — the month
  22. march — the month
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bark — to shout

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