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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 120 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: bear · foot · fine · mug · rule · bark · present · bore

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. present — a gift
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — a law
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. mug — a face
  9. bear — the animal
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. mug — to rob
  16. rule — government
  17. foot — a measure
  18. mug — a cup
  19. fine — all right
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. bore — to tire
  22. present — there
  23. bark — to shout
  24. present — the time now

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