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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: bore · club · last · spell · root · mine · cue · mark

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. root — of a word
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — a grade
  5. spell — magic
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. spell — letters
  8. bore — to drill
  9. root — of a plant
  10. cue — a signal
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. last — finally
  14. spell — a short time
  15. bore — to tire
  16. mine — for digging
  17. root — the cause
  18. last — to go on
  19. club — for dancing
  20. cue — for pool
  21. club — for golf
  22. cue — a hint
  23. last — final
  24. mine — belonging to me

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