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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
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: rule · bore · pitcher · nail · bulb · bark · fork · prune

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rule — government
  5. prune — to trim
  6. rule — a law
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fork — in a road
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bore — to tire
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bore — to drill
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fork — a garden 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