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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 124 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. field — a subject
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. root — of a word
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. field — farmland
  9. present — a gift
  10. suit — in cards
  11. branch — a division
  12. root — the cause
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. present — the time now
  15. suit — clothes
  16. field — for sport
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — to tire
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. root — of a plant
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. present — there
  24. stand — to bear

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