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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: bore · bark · pop · pitcher · club · tube · kick · racket

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bark — to shout
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. club — for dancing
  10. tube — the underground
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. club — a group
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. pop — music
  18. club — for golf
  19. tube — a container
  20. kick — in football
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pop — soda
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bore — gave birth

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