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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bore — to drill
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. bark — to shout
  5. ground — a position
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. foot — a measure
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bulb — for light
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. bore — to tire
  15. plane — a tool
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. ground — crushed
  20. ground — the earth
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. board — to get on
  24. bulb — for light

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