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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 116 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: sharp · wind · bark · pit · bore · perch · file · pop

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. bark — to shout
  3. pit — a hole
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — to drill
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pop — music
  9. file — a line of people
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. file — a document
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. wind — moving air
  14. sharp — clever
  15. wind — moving air
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. pop — soda
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. perch — the fish
  23. pop — to visit
  24. file — a tool

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