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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 116 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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. bark — to shout
  4. object — a thing
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. shower — to wash
  7. object — to protest
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. shower — rain
  18. content — the amount
  19. object — an aim
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pass — a permit
  22. content — happy
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. bore — to tire

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