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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bark — to shout
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. drill — a practice
  6. pop — music
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. pop — to visit
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. drill — army training
  21. pound — a weight
  22. bore — to drill
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pound — for dogs

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