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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. pop — to visit
  4. rule — a law
  5. rule — government
  6. bore — to drill
  7. pop — soda
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. pop — music
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bore — to tire
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. lean — thin
  14. root — of a plant
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — size or range
  23. root — of a word
  24. root — the cause

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