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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 120 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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. kid — child
  3. track — a song
  4. club — for dancing
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. track — a path
  8. track — to keep track
  9. cue — a hint
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. bark — to shout
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. bore — to tire
  18. cue — a signal
  19. club — a group
  20. pitch — completely
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. cue — for pool
  23. kid — to tease
  24. club — for golf

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