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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 · bark · cue · rock · ball · spring · fine · leaves

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  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. bark — a dog's sound
  2. ball — a dance
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bore — to drill
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. cue — a hint
  7. ball — a great time
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. cue — a signal
  10. spring — the season
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. spring — a coil
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. rock — music
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — all right
  19. spring — of water
  20. fine — high quality
  21. cue — for pool
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bore — to tire
  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