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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: bore · object · mine · land · march · bark · fork · wake

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. march — the month
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bark — to shout
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. land — a country
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. march — the month
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. object — a thing
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. wake — a trail
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. land — to come down
  19. march — music
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. land — ground
  23. bore — to tire
  24. object — to protest

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