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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. pop — soda
  5. march — the month
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. dip — to sink
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bark — to shout
  10. march — music
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pop — music
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. march — the month
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bound — certain
  18. prune — to trim
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. pop — to visit
  24. bound — obliged

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