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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. branch — a division
  3. root — of a plant
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wind — moving air
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. date — the fruit
  8. pop — soda
  9. root — the cause
  10. fork — in a road
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. wind — moving air
  13. pop — to visit
  14. rock — music
  15. pop — music
  16. root — of a word
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to drill
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. rock — a stone
  24. date — on the calendar

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