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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 cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bank — of a river
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. current — electric
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — for money
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. current — of water
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. current — happening now
  22. bark — to shout
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bore — to drill

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