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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bear — the animal
  4. scale — in music
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bark — to shout
  8. row — a line
  9. mate — a partner
  10. row — to paddle
  11. mate — a friend
  12. plane — a tool
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. mate — to breed

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