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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. bore — to tire
  3. kid — to tease
  4. root — of a word
  5. pop — music
  6. fine — all right
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. present — the time now
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pop — to visit
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. present — a gift
  14. chip — for betting
  15. root — of a plant
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. present — there
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. pop — soda
  20. kid — child
  21. bore — to drill
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bear — the animal
  24. root — the cause

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