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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bark — to shout
  5. pop — music
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. branch — a division
  8. bore — to drill
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — to breed
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. pop — to visit
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. mate — a friend

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