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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  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. racket — for tennis
  2. bore — to drill
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. chest — a box
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. mark — a trace
  11. root — of a word
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ground — crushed
  14. root — of a plant
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. ground — a position
  17. chest — of your body
  18. mark — a grade
  19. bore — to tire
  20. chest — of your body
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. plane — a tool
  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