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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. present — a gift
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. roll — a list
  5. bore — to drill
  6. present — the time now
  7. bark — to shout
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. present — there
  11. stock — goods
  12. wind — moving air
  13. stock — shares
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. wind — moving air
  19. roll — a cake
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. pound — a weight
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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