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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: bark · spring · bore · mouse · rock · current · staff · pit

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rock — music
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bore — to tire
  6. spring — a coil
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. spring — of water
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. staff — a stick
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. spring — the season
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. current — electric
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. rock — a stone
  18. current — of water
  19. pit — a hole
  20. current — happening now
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — employees
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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