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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bark — to shout
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. bore — to tire
  7. stock — goods
  8. squash — to crush
  9. pass — a permit
  10. squash — the sport
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. stock — shares
  24. pound — to hit hard

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