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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. bore — to drill
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bark — to shout
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. content — happy
  8. spell — letters
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. spell — a short time
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. can — a tin
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bore — to tire
  19. game — wild animals
  20. content — the amount
  21. can — a tin
  22. spell — magic
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — a stone

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