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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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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — a position
  5. ground — the earth
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. net — in sport
  8. root — the cause
  9. net — after costs
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. root — of a word
  15. root — of a plant
  16. bore — to tire
  17. stem — to come from
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bore — to drill
  22. net — for catching
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. stem — a stem cell

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