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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 120 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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bore — to drill
  4. season — of the year
  5. tube — a container
  6. root — of a plant
  7. cue — for pool
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. row — a line
  10. row — to paddle
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cue — a signal
  13. root — of a word
  14. pitch — completely
  15. bore — to tire
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. season — in sport
  18. tube — the underground
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. root — the cause
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. season — to add flavour

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