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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 120 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. root — the cause
  3. club — for golf
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. object — an aim
  6. club — for dancing
  7. pop — music
  8. bore — to tire
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. root — of a word
  12. club — a group
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bore — to drill
  15. root — of a plant
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. mine — for digging
  18. vault — a safe
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. object — to protest
  21. pop — to visit
  22. object — a thing
  23. pop — soda
  24. rush — a thrill

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