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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. root — of a word
  3. rash — a series
  4. pop — music
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. fine — high quality
  7. shower — rain
  8. fine — all right
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bore — to drill
  12. root — the cause
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. pop — to visit
  15. shower — to wash
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. bore — to tire
  22. root — of a plant
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. pop — soda

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