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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. board — to get on
  3. bore — to drill
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. root — of a word
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. board — a committee
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. kick — in football
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. root — the cause
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. craft — boats
  17. wound — an injury
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. root — of a plant
  20. craft — a skill
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. wound — an injury
  24. kick — with a leg

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