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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. swing — music
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. suit — in cards
  7. root — of a word
  8. bore — to drill
  9. suit — to fit
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. game — wild animals
  13. shower — rain
  14. mark — a trace
  15. suit — clothes
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. root — the cause
  19. game — a match
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. root — of a plant
  23. mark — a grade
  24. swing — to play on

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