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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: bore · branch · wound · key · bark · court · fan · row

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bore — to drill
  4. row — a line
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. court — of a king
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bore — to tire
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. key — the most important part
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bark — to shout
  14. key — for a lock
  15. court — for sport
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. court — of law
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. key — in music
  23. branch — a division
  24. wound — an injury

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