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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. drill — army training
  3. suit — clothes
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bore — to drill
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. root — the cause
  9. root — of a word
  10. cap — a hat
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. squash — the sport
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cap — of ice
  15. mine — for digging
  16. root — of a plant
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bore — to tire
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. drill — the tool
  23. drill — a practice
  24. suit — in cards

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