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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bore — to tire
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bass — low music
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bore — to drill
  9. drill — a practice
  10. game — a match
  11. key — the most important part
  12. root — the cause
  13. root — of a word
  14. bass — the fish
  15. root — of a plant
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — the tool
  20. bank — for money
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. key — in music
  23. game — wild animals
  24. bank — for money

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