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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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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: track · swing · spring · bore · bark · stand · bulb · march

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. march — music
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. spring — the season
  7. track — a song
  8. swing — in golf
  9. swing — music
  10. bulb — for light
  11. spring — of water
  12. stand — to bear
  13. march — the month
  14. bulb — for light
  15. track — a path
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bark — to shout
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bore — to tire
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. march — the month

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