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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 116 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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  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. pound — for dogs
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. tube — a container
  4. bore — to drill
  5. mark — a trace
  6. pop — music
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pop — to visit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bark — to shout
  13. mark — a grade
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bore — to tire
  21. pound — a weight
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. pop — soda
  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