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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. root — of a plant
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. kick — in football
  7. court — of a king
  8. pitch — completely
  9. branch — a division
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — to rip
  14. root — of a word
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. tear — from crying
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. court — of law
  21. root — the cause
  22. court — for sport
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — to tire

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