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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bore — to drill
  3. sharp — clever
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. stock — goods
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bore — to tire
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — shares
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bowl — a dish

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