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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. bore — to tire
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. rock — music
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a match
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — a permit
  10. root — of a word
  11. present — a gift
  12. scale — size or range
  13. swing — to play on
  14. present — the time now
  15. swing — in golf
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. root — of a plant
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. swing — music
  22. rock — a stone
  23. scale — in music
  24. present — there

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