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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bore — to drill
  4. saw — the tool
  5. club — a group
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. swing — music
  10. root — of a plant
  11. chair — a leader
  12. vault — a safe
  13. saw — the tool
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. club — for golf
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. root — the cause
  19. swing — to play on
  20. bore — to tire
  21. swing — in golf
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. club — for dancing
  24. bat — the animal

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