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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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. charge — in control
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. fall — to drop
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. root — of a plant
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. fall — the season
  10. bore — to tire
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. root — the cause
  14. charge — a price
  15. root — of a word
  16. row — a line
  17. bore — to drill
  18. charge — electricity
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. fall — to drop
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. deal — to handle
  24. row — to paddle

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