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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. root — the cause
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bore — to tire
  7. file — a line of people
  8. can — a tin
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bore — to drill
  13. file — a document
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bass — low music
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. root — of a plant
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. bass — the fish
  21. prune — to trim
  22. file — a tool
  23. root — of a word
  24. bass — the instrument

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