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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. root — of a word
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to drill
  5. board — a committee
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. root — of a plant
  9. track — to keep track
  10. board — to get on
  11. root — the cause
  12. capital — a city
  13. firm — steady
  14. track — a path
  15. firm — a company
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. track — a song
  19. capital — money
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. stem — to come from
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — a stone
  24. firm — decided

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