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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. pass — a permit
  3. swing — to play on
  4. rock — a stone
  5. swing — in golf
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. file — a line of people
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. root — the cause
  10. file — a document
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bore — to drill
  13. degree — temperature
  14. rock — music
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. degree — an amount
  17. swing — music
  18. file — a tool
  19. degree — from a university
  20. bore — to tire
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. root — of a word
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. root — of a plant

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