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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to tire
  3. root — of a plant
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. scale — size or range
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. root — the cause
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. bound — certain
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bore — to drill
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. root — of a word
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. scale — in music
  19. branch — a division
  20. bound — obliged
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — a leader
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. toast — bread

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