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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. rock — music
  3. bore — to drill
  4. clip — to cut
  5. rock — a stone
  6. root — of a plant
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. mark — a grade
  9. field — farmland
  10. clip — for paper
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. clip — a video
  13. root — the cause
  14. bound — certain
  15. root — of a word
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. bound — tied together
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a trace
  20. bound — obliged
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. field — a subject
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. field — for sport

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