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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. root — of a plant
  4. wound — an injury
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. row — to paddle
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. root — the cause
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. wound — an injury
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bore — to drill
  22. root — of a word
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. bore — to tire

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