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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 120 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bore — to drill
  4. foot — a measure
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bark — to shout
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. rock — music
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bore — to tire
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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