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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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Word bank
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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: pitcher · hand · root · land · date · lie · board · bore

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. land — to come down
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bore — to drill
  7. land — a country
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. board — a committee
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — of a plant
  13. land — ground
  14. lie — to recline
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — help
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. date — the fruit
  21. board — to get on
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bore — to tire
  24. hand — part of the body

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