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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pop — to visit
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. ground — the earth
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bark — to shout
  8. pound — a weight
  9. bore — to drill
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. rush — hurry
  14. pop — music
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — a container
  17. bore — to tire
  18. pop — soda
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. ground — crushed
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. ground — a position
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. pitcher — a jug

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