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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. field — a subject
  6. root — of a plant
  7. perch — the fish
  8. firm — decided
  9. bore — to drill
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. firm — steady
  12. pop — soda
  13. field — farmland
  14. root — the cause
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pop — music
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bore — to tire
  20. firm — a company
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. field — for sport
  23. fall — the season
  24. root — of a word

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