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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: ruler · wound · track · bark · rock · net · kick · bore

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. track — a path
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bore — to drill
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. track — a song
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kick — in football
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. net — in sport
  15. wound — an injury
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. net — after costs
  18. rock — a stone
  19. net — for catching
  20. bore — to tire
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. bark — to shout
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. rock — music

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