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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. staff — employees
  4. bore — to drill
  5. mark — a trace
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. root — of a word
  8. bore — to tire
  9. root — of a plant
  10. staff — employees
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. root — the cause
  13. mark — a grade
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. pitch — completely
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bat — the animal
  24. wax — to grow

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