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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. root — the cause
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. march — the month
  5. degree — from a university
  6. march — music
  7. degree — an amount
  8. march — the month
  9. degree — temperature
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bore — to tire
  12. root — of a word
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. root — of a plant
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a great time
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. ball — a dance
  23. bore — to drill
  24. hide — animal skin

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