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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. board — to get on
  4. bore — to drill
  5. drill — the tool
  6. suit — clothes
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. suit — in cards
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. kick — in football
  11. root — of a plant
  12. bore — to tire
  13. sharp — clever
  14. court — for sport
  15. drill — a practice
  16. board — a committee
  17. drill — army training
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. court — of a king
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — the cause
  24. suit — to fit

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