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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. rash — a series
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. suit — clothes
  6. scale — in music
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bear — the animal
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. suit — to fit
  13. suit — in cards
  14. root — of a word
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. scale — size or range
  22. root — the cause
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. bore — to drill

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