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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to tire
  10. present — the time now
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. row — to paddle
  13. pitch — completely
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. present — there
  16. present — a gift
  17. row — a line
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — a division
  21. bark — to shout
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. bark — of a tree

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