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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 120 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 works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — to fit
  4. kick — in football
  5. root — of a word
  6. firm — steady
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. root — the cause
  9. bore — to drill
  10. board — a committee
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. march — music
  13. bore — to tire
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. march — the month
  16. firm — decided
  17. board — to get on
  18. game — a match
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. march — the month
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. suit — clothes
  23. root — of a plant
  24. game — wild animals

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