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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bore — to drill
  3. spring — of water
  4. scale — in music
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. scale — size or range
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. root — of a plant
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. root — the cause
  16. bore — to tire
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. spring — a coil
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. wake — a trail
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. spring — the season

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