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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. field — a subject
  5. pit — in a race
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. mark — a trace
  8. clip — to cut
  9. clip — for paper
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a committee
  14. pit — a hole
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bore — to tire
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stem — to come from
  20. clip — a video
  21. field — farmland
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. field — for sport

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