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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. sharp — clever
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. object — a thing
  5. swing — to play on
  6. root — of a plant
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. capital — money
  11. bore — to drill
  12. swing — in golf
  13. root — of a word
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. bore — to tire
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — an aim
  20. capital — a city
  21. root — the cause
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. swing — music
  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