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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. key — the most important part
  3. field — a subject
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. board — a committee
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — to drill
  12. chair — a leader
  13. field — farmland
  14. board — to get on
  15. root — of a plant
  16. key — for a lock
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. key — in music
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. root — the cause
  23. field — for sport
  24. chair — a professorship

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