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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. root — the cause
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. mate — a friend
  5. board — to get on
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bore — to drill
  10. root — of a word
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bear — the animal
  13. scale — in music
  14. board — a committee
  15. scale — size or range
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. root — of a plant
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. scale — for weighing

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