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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. root — the cause
  3. bulb — for light
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. court — for sport
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. mate — to breed
  9. kick — in football
  10. mate — a partner
  11. court — of a king
  12. root — of a word
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bore — to tire
  15. root — of a plant
  16. mate — a friend
  17. bore — to drill
  18. court — of law

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