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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: wake · rock · bore · content · bark · club · can · spell

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bore — to drill
  4. spell — magic
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. content — the amount
  7. can — a tin
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. club — for dancing
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. rock — music
  13. can — a tin
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. spell — letters
  18. club — for golf
  19. rock — a stone
  20. bore — to tire
  21. content — happy
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bark — to shout

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