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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. row — a line
  4. kid — child
  5. bark — to shout
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. kid — to tease
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — completely
  12. bore — to drill
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. ball — a dance
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. staff — a stick
  19. bore — to tire
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. staff — employees
  22. row — to paddle
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. staff — employees

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