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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: suit · saw · toast · racket · drill · root · mate · mine

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. drill — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. drill — army training
  6. saw — the tool
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. drill — a practice
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mate — to breed
  12. root — the cause
  13. suit — in cards
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. toast — bread
  16. saw — the tool
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. root — of a word
  22. mate — a partner
  23. suit — clothes
  24. root — of a plant

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