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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. root — of a word
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bound — certain
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. cue — a hint
  9. bore — to tire
  10. game — a match
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. bound — tied together
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. cue — a signal
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. cue — for pool
  17. game — wild animals
  18. bore — to drill
  19. foot — a measure
  20. root — of a plant
  21. rash — hasty
  22. bound — obliged
  23. root — the cause
  24. branch — a division

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