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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. root — of a plant
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ball — a dance
  5. board — a committee
  6. kid — to tease
  7. root — of a word
  8. bore — to drill
  9. board — to get on
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. field — a subject
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. field — farmland
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bore — to tire
  18. root — the cause
  19. field — for sport
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — to bear
  24. ball — a round shape

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