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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bore — to drill
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. last — to go on
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bulb — for light
  9. court — of a king
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. tube — a container
  13. last — finally
  14. bark — to shout
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. last — final
  21. court — for sport
  22. bore — to tire
  23. court — of law
  24. fork — in a road

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