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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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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: drill · root · kick · mark · pit · bulb · season · trunk

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. root — of a word
  3. drill — a practice
  4. root — the cause
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. mark — a grade
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bulb — for light
  9. season — of the year
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. pit — in a race
  12. drill — the tool
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a trace
  18. kick — in football
  19. season — in sport
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. bulb — 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