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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.

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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: tube · bark · bore · calf · ball · season · perch · nail

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. ball — a dance
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. bark — to shout
  11. season — of the year
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bore — to drill
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. season — in sport
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. tube — a container
  24. ball — a great time

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