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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 120 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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. field — for sport
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. march — music
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bulb — for light
  9. march — the month
  10. bore — to drill
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. root — the cause
  13. hand — help
  14. field — a subject
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. field — farmland
  18. cap — of ice
  19. hand — in cards
  20. board — to get on
  21. cap — a hat
  22. march — the month
  23. root — of a word
  24. board — a committee

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