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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 120 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 · current · game · squash · bore · row · bark · key

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bore — to tire
  5. squash — the sport
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. current — of water
  9. row — a line
  10. row — to paddle
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. key — in music
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. game — wild animals
  15. current — happening now
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. squash — to crush
  18. key — for a lock
  19. game — a match
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. key — the most important part
  22. can — a tin
  23. current — electric
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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