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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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. track — a song
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bore — to tire
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bark — to shout
  9. cold — not warm
  10. stock — goods
  11. bound — obliged
  12. track — a path
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. key — in music
  17. bound — certain
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. key — for a lock
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. track — to keep track
  23. stock — shares
  24. key — the most important part

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