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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a path
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. track — a song
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — of a plant
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. bore — to drill
  15. board — to get on
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bore — to tire
  19. root — the cause
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pit — in a race
  22. board — a committee
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. ruler — for measuring

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