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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. firm — a company
  3. firm — steady
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. fall — the season
  7. root — of a word
  8. firm — decided
  9. court — of a king
  10. root — the cause
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. court — for sport
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. root — of a plant
  19. fall — to drop
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. court — of law
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bore — to drill

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