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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. bark — to shout
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — hurry
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bank — for money
  7. staff — a stick
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. content — happy
  11. content — the amount
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bank — of a river
  14. staff — employees
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — to drill
  19. staff — employees
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bank — for money
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. prune — to trim

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