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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. chip — to eat
  4. mark — a trace
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. dip — to sink
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. vault — a safe
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bark — to shout
  16. pound — a weight
  17. chip — for betting
  18. shower — to wash
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. mark — a grade
  22. bore — to drill
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. shower — rain

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