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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. root — the cause
  3. scale — size or range
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bore — to drill
  7. wake — a trail
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. root — of a word
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bore — to tire
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — after costs
  17. scale — in music
  18. root — of a plant
  19. net — in sport
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — completely
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. mouse — for a computer

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