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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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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. root — of a plant
  3. field — farmland
  4. root — of a word
  5. wound — an injury
  6. vault — a safe
  7. court — of a king
  8. bore — to drill
  9. wound — an injury
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — a committee
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. field — for sport
  15. court — for sport
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. root — the cause
  18. saw — the tool
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. court — of law
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. field — a subject
  23. bore — to tire
  24. board — to get on

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