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

Word bank: season · cap · club · can · bore · root

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. bore — to tire
  3. cap — a lid
  4. root — the cause
  5. can — a tin
  6. root — of a word
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. season — in sport
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — for golf
  11. season — of the year
  12. can — a tin
  13. club — a group
  14. root — of a plant
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bore — to drill
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. cap — a hat

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