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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: date · bat · board · pass · court · root · tear · bore

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. root — the cause
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of law
  5. root — of a plant
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bore — to drill
  8. date — the fruit
  9. bat — the animal
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. tear — from crying
  13. pass — a permit
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bore — to tire
  16. tear — to rip
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. board — a committee
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. root — of a word
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. court — of a king

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