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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 116 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. fine — all right
  6. bore — to drill
  7. fine — high quality
  8. chip — for betting
  9. root — the cause
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. root — of a plant
  13. bore — to tire
  14. root — of a word
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. degree — temperature
  17. degree — from a university
  18. bear — the animal
  19. can — a tin
  20. degree — an amount
  21. can — to be able to
  22. bear — the animal
  23. can — a tin
  24. bore — gave birth

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