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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: season · mouse · land · mine · wax · root · net · rock

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. rock — a stone
  3. root — of a plant
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. wax — to grow
  6. net — in sport
  7. mine — for digging
  8. land — to come down
  9. net — for catching
  10. root — of a word
  11. net — after costs
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — of the year
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. land — ground
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. land — a country
  20. rock — music
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. season — in sport
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. wax — in the ear

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