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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bank — for money
  7. bark — to shout
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. fine — all right
  10. board — to get on
  11. bore — to drill
  12. track — a path
  13. bass — low music
  14. track — a song
  15. board — a committee
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bank — for money

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