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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. root — the cause
  4. bore — to tire
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. track — a song
  7. root — of a plant
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. track — to keep track
  11. root — of a word
  12. pit — a hole
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. game — wild animals
  17. track — a path
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. plane — a tool
  20. game — a match
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bore — to drill
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bore — gave birth

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