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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. drill — the tool
  3. squash — to crush
  4. root — of a word
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. drill — a practice
  8. wound — an injury
  9. cue — for pool
  10. root — the cause
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. court — of a king
  15. board — to get on
  16. court — of law
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — a hint
  19. court — for sport
  20. bore — to drill
  21. wound — an injury
  22. squash — the sport
  23. root — of a plant
  24. drill — army training

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