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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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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. board — a committee
  3. club — for golf
  4. board — to get on
  5. root — of a word
  6. root — the cause
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bore — to drill
  11. root — of a plant
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. fork — in a road
  18. club — a group

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