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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — music
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bear — the animal
  6. swing — in golf
  7. swing — to play on
  8. swing — music
  9. pop — soda
  10. root — of a word
  11. fall — to drop
  12. drill — army training
  13. pit — in a race
  14. root — the cause
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bore — to drill
  18. root — of a plant
  19. drill — the tool
  20. pit — a hole
  21. drill — a practice
  22. fall — the season
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bear — to put up with

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