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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. track — a path
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bore — to tire
  7. pop — soda
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bore — to drill
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. pop — to visit
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bark — to shout
  14. foot — a measure
  15. rock — a stone
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. rock — music
  23. track — a song
  24. pop — music

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