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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. season — in sport
  4. root — the cause
  5. shower — rain
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. capital — money
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. capital — a city
  12. row — to paddle
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — a line
  15. rest — a break
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. root — of a word
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bore — to tire
  21. root — of a plant
  22. shower — to wash
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. season — of the year

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