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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

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

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