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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: spring · bark · pitch · trunk · band · mark · bore · safe

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  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. spring — of water
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. pitch — completely
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bore — to drill
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. band — a ring
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. spring — the season
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bore — to tire
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. band — a music group
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. mark — a grade
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bore — gave birth
  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