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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. file — a document
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. fall — to drop
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — a trace
  9. bark — to shout
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bore — to drill
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. file — a tool
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. fall — the season
  19. stem — to come from
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bore — to tire
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. chair — a leader

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