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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. court — for sport
  3. court — of law
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. can — a tin
  6. court — of a king
  7. march — the month
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. root — the cause
  12. vault — a safe
  13. root — of a word
  14. root — of a plant
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. stem — to come from
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bore — to drill
  20. march — the month
  21. bass — low music
  22. bass — the fish
  23. can — a tin
  24. march — music

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