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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. object — a thing
  4. object — to protest
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bass — the fish
  7. roll — a cake
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. ball — a great time
  10. root — the cause
  11. bass — low music
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. ball — a dance
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. staff — a stick
  16. root — of a plant
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — to drill
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. staff — employees
  21. stem — to come from
  22. root — of a word
  23. object — an aim
  24. roll — a list

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