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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. stock — shares
  3. bore — to drill
  4. cell — in biology
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. pit — a hole
  7. tube — a container
  8. bore — to tire
  9. firm — decided
  10. pit — in a race
  11. firm — a company
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. tube — the underground
  14. firm — steady
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. cell — a phone
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. stock — goods
  24. racket — for tennis

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