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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. bore — to drill
  3. net — for catching
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. suit — to fit
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. suit — clothes
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bore — to tire
  13. pound — a weight
  14. fine — high quality
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. bark — to shout
  17. suit — in cards
  18. chair — a leader
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. fine — all right
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. net — after costs
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. net — in 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