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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. band — a music group
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. bore — to tire
  5. stock — shares
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stock — goods
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mine — for digging
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. mark — a trace
  24. band — a ring

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