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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: content · land · bark · pop · bore · ruler · wave · mark

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. pop — music
  5. land — ground
  6. mark — a trace
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. pop — to visit
  11. land — a country
  12. content — happy
  13. bark — to shout
  14. pop — soda
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. content — the amount
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. bore — to tire
  20. mark — a grade
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. land — to come down
  23. bore — to drill
  24. ruler — for measuring

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