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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. season — of the year
  4. root — of a word
  5. bore — to drill
  6. staff — employees
  7. bore — to tire
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a path
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. root — the cause
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. track — a song
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. drill — a practice
  16. drill — army training
  17. staff — employees
  18. hand — help
  19. root — of a plant
  20. drill — the tool
  21. staff — a stick
  22. season — in sport
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bowl — a dish

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