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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. stand — to bear
  3. shower — to wash
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — hurry
  6. root — the cause
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. shower — rain
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bore — to drill
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. toast — bread
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. root — of a word
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. foot — a measure
  21. root — of a plant
  22. capital — a city
  23. bore — to tire
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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