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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. root — of a word
  3. object — an aim
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. rule — a law
  10. bore — to drill
  11. object — a thing
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. club — for golf
  15. game — a match
  16. bore — to tire
  17. rule — government
  18. object — to protest
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — a group
  21. root — the cause
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. perch — the fish
  24. root — of a plant

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