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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. root — of a word
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. key — for a lock
  9. mate — to breed
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. root — the cause
  12. mate — a partner
  13. bore — to drill
  14. key — in music
  15. rash — hasty
  16. root — of a plant
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. mate — a friend
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pitch — completely
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bore — to tire
  24. calf — of the leg

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