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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.

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: fine · net · leaves · game · cell · season · mouse · root

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. cell — a phone
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. root — the cause
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — high quality
  9. cell — in biology
  10. root — of a word
  11. net — after costs
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. net — for catching
  14. season — of the year
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. net — in sport
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. root — of a plant
  20. game — a match
  21. game — wild animals
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. fine — all right

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