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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 need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. branch — a division
  3. root — of a word
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. pass — a permit
  7. court — for sport
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. game — wild animals
  11. drill — army training
  12. drill — a practice
  13. root — the cause
  14. game — a match
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. court — of law
  17. bore — to tire
  18. root — of a plant
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bore — to drill
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. court — of a king

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