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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bat — the animal
  5. squash — the sport
  6. chair — a leader
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bore — to drill
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a grade
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. squash — to crush
  24. bat — for baseball

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