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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fine — all right
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bore — to drill
  9. mark — a trace
  10. ground — the earth
  11. bore — to tire
  12. mine — for digging
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. board — to get on
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. bark — to shout
  21. mark — a grade
  22. board — a committee
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mine — an explosive

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