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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bore — to drill
  3. track — a song
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. spell — magic
  7. land — a country
  8. kid — to tease
  9. track — to keep track
  10. root — the cause
  11. root — of a plant
  12. bore — to tire
  13. root — of a word
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stand — to bear
  16. land — to come down
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. land — ground
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. kid — child
  21. spell — a short time
  22. track — a path
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. spell — letters

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