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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: net · tear · root · march · bore · mark · band · game

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — to rip
  4. root — of a plant
  5. mark — a grade
  6. game — a match
  7. tear — from crying
  8. band — a music group
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bore — to drill
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — after costs
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. net — for catching
  15. march — the month
  16. mark — a trace
  17. game — wild animals
  18. bore — to tire
  19. march — the month
  20. root — the cause
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. march — music
  23. band — a ring
  24. band — a rubber band

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