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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. land — a country
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. firm — a company
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. tube — the underground
  7. hand — in cards
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. hand — help
  10. land — to come down
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. root — the cause
  13. pit — a hole
  14. tube — a container
  15. root — of a plant
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. root — of a word
  18. firm — decided
  19. bore — to drill
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bore — to tire
  22. land — ground
  23. pit — in a race
  24. hand — part of the body

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