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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — a company
  4. bore — to drill
  5. firm — decided
  6. face — to confront
  7. mark — a grade
  8. field — for sport
  9. root — of a word
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bore — to tire
  13. mark — a trace
  14. root — of a plant
  15. face — to point toward
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. degree — from a university
  18. degree — an amount
  19. field — farmland
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. field — a subject
  22. degree — temperature
  23. root — the cause
  24. safe — a strongbox

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