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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: toast · ball · root · mouse · calf · bore · cell · fine

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. root — of a plant
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. toast — bread
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. bore — to drill
  11. ball — a great time
  12. root — the cause
  13. root — of a word
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. fine — high quality
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. ball — a dance
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. cell — a phone
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. fine — all right
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. cell — in biology

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