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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: can · chair · pop · row · bark · suit · rock · bore

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. bore — to drill
  3. row — to paddle
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — clothes
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. row — a line
  11. bore — to tire
  12. pop — music
  13. can — a tin
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. pop — to visit
  17. rock — music
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. chair — a leader
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. rock — a stone
  24. suit — in cards

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