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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. root — the cause
  3. staff — employees
  4. capital — a city
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. club — for golf
  7. staff — a stick
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bore — to tire
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bore — to drill
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. staff — employees
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. capital — money
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. root — of a plant
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. root — of a word
  24. club — a group

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