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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
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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: fine · drill · leaves · rule · object · root · net · spring

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. drill — army training
  3. net — for catching
  4. fine — all right
  5. spring — the season
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. object — to protest
  8. object — an aim
  9. spring — of water
  10. rule — government
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. drill — a practice
  13. root — the cause
  14. object — a thing
  15. net — after costs
  16. spring — a coil
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. root — of a word
  19. fine — high quality
  20. rule — a law
  21. root — of a plant
  22. drill — the tool
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. rule — to rule out

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