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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: present · bore · stand · root · bay · game · hand · cue

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. stand — to bear
  4. game — a match
  5. game — wild animals
  6. present — a gift
  7. root — of a plant
  8. root — the cause
  9. cue — a hint
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. root — of a word
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. hand — help
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. hand — in cards
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. bore — to tire
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cue — for pool
  24. present — the time now

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