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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bore — to tire
  3. club — for golf
  4. chair — a leader
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bark — to shout
  8. can — to be able to
  9. club — a group
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. can — a tin
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. club — for dancing
  16. shower — rain
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. shower — to wash
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. bore — to drill
  24. chair — a professorship

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