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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pass — a permit
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. drill — a practice
  7. kid — child
  8. root — of a plant
  9. board — to get on
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. kid — to tease
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. drill — army training
  15. root — the cause
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bear — the animal
  21. board — a committee
  22. drill — the tool
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. date — the fruit

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