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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. hand — in cards
  3. chair — a leader
  4. can — a tin
  5. root — the cause
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. root — of a word
  10. bass — low music
  11. track — a song
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. track — to keep track
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. track — a path
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — to tire
  21. snap — to click
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. bass — the fish
  24. root — of a plant

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