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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bore — to drill
  3. tube — a container
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. can — to be able to
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. roll — a list
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. swing — to play on
  11. swing — music
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bark — to shout
  16. can — a tin
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. roll — a cake
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bore — to tire
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. tube — the underground
  24. date — the fruit

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