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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. squash — the sport
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bore — to tire
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. squash — to crush
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. root — the cause
  13. sharp — clever
  14. root — of a word
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — of law
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. court — for sport
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. wake — a trail

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