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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. board — a committee
  3. bore — to drill
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. capital — a city
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. root — of a plant
  9. game — wild animals
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. capital — money
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. bore — to tire
  14. game — a match
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pound — a weight
  17. bulb — for light
  18. board — to get on
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. root — of a word
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. root — the cause
  24. capital — a big letter

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