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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: stock · bore · row · bear · content · mate · pass · bark

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. pass — a permit
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bark — to shout
  7. row — a line
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. mate — a friend
  10. stock — goods
  11. bore — to tire
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. stock — shares
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. content — happy
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bear — the animal
  21. content — the amount
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. mate — to breed
  24. bore — to drill

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