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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. drill — a practice
  3. field — farmland
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. drill — army training
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bore — to tire
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. ball — a dance
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — the cause
  12. bore — to drill
  13. root — of a word
  14. field — for sport
  15. deal — to handle
  16. ball — a great time
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — boats
  19. field — a subject
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. drill — the tool
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. deal — a big deal

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