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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. root — the cause
  5. bore — to drill
  6. root — of a plant
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. bulb — for light
  10. band — a music group
  11. last — to go on
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. club — for dancing
  15. last — final
  16. club — a group
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. last — finally
  22. band — a ring
  23. club — for golf
  24. root — of a word

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