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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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Word bank
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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — to drill
  7. root — the cause
  8. spring — a coil
  9. ball — a great time
  10. board — to get on
  11. ball — a dance
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. saw — the tool
  14. key — in music
  15. board — a committee
  16. spring — of water
  17. fine — high quality
  18. spring — the season
  19. fine — all right
  20. root — of a word
  21. saw — the tool
  22. key — the most important part
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. root — of a plant

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