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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bore — to tire
  3. court — of law
  4. court — for sport
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. content — happy
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bound — certain
  14. court — of a king
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. content — the amount
  24. bowl — a dish

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