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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 120 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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — a match
  4. mark — a grade
  5. game — wild animals
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — of a word
  10. band — a music group
  11. mark — a trace
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a path
  17. root — the cause
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bore — to tire
  20. rest — a break
  21. band — a ring
  22. track — a song
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — a sauce

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