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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 120 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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. field — for sport
  3. bound — certain
  4. cap — of ice
  5. field — farmland
  6. root — the cause
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bound — tied together
  9. root — of a word
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. drill — army training
  12. bore — to drill
  13. cap — a lid
  14. drill — the tool
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. drill — a practice
  17. net — after costs
  18. cap — a hat
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. pound — a weight
  21. field — a subject
  22. net — for catching
  23. bound — obliged
  24. net — in sport

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