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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 ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. rash — a series
  3. drill — a practice
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. content — happy
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. rash — hasty
  9. root — of a plant
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. rock — music
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — the cause
  18. drill — the tool
  19. content — the amount
  20. bore — to tire
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bore — to drill
  24. drill — army training

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