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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: bore · root · deal · key · tube · last · shower · net

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. last — finally
  3. tube — the underground
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. net — in sport
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — the cause
  8. key — the most important part
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. tube — a container
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bore — to drill
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bore — to tire
  16. net — after costs
  17. last — to go on
  18. last — final
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. shower — rain
  22. shower — to wash
  23. net — for catching
  24. key — in music

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