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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. board — a committee
  4. staff — employees
  5. bore — to tire
  6. root — of a plant
  7. vault — a safe
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. wound — an injury
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. wound — an injury
  12. root — the cause
  13. track — a song
  14. degree — temperature
  15. track — to keep track
  16. degree — an amount
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. degree — from a university
  20. root — of a word
  21. staff — employees
  22. bore — to drill
  23. board — to get on
  24. staff — a stick

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