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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. club — for golf
  3. root — the cause
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bat — the animal
  6. root — of a word
  7. bore — to drill
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bore — to tire
  12. club — a group
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. chip — to eat
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. club — for dancing
  17. root — of a plant
  18. chip — for betting
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. chair — a leader
  24. chair — a professorship

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