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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bore — to drill
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. club — for golf
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for dancing
  14. squash — to crush
  15. stock — goods
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. squash — the sport
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — shares
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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