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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. band — a music group
  3. root — of a plant
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bear — the animal
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. root — the cause
  13. band — a ring
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pound — a weight
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — to drill
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. root — of a word
  24. pound — to hit hard

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