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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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 tire
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. spell — letters
  7. root — the cause
  8. swing — to play on
  9. club — a group
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. march — the month
  12. spell — a short time
  13. club — for golf
  14. swing — music
  15. dip — to sink
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. spell — magic
  18. pitch — completely
  19. root — of a plant
  20. club — for dancing
  21. swing — in golf
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. bore — to drill

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