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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: firm · bore · tube · mug · season · cue · bark · capital

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. firm — steady
  7. season — of the year
  8. tube — a container
  9. cue — for pool
  10. tube — the underground
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. season — in sport
  13. bore — to tire
  14. mug — a face
  15. capital — money
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. firm — a company
  18. cue — a signal
  19. bark — to shout
  20. firm — decided
  21. cue — a hint
  22. capital — a city
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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