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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mate · perch · root · mouse · drill · game · nail · rock

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. perch — the fish
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. mate — to breed
  5. drill — army training
  6. game — a match
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a plant
  13. drill — a practice
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rock — a stone
  21. drill — the tool
  22. game — wild animals
  23. rock — music
  24. perch — for a bird

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