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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. root — of a plant
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. root — of a word
  7. firm — steady
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. root — the cause
  10. row — to paddle
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bat — the animal
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — decided
  15. key — for a lock
  16. drill — a practice
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. key — in music
  23. drill — army training
  24. row — a line

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