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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: ball · can · season · kick · bore · cabinet · stand · root

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. kick — in football
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. bore — to drill
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. can — a tin
  10. season — of the year
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. root — of a plant
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. bore — to tire
  15. can — to be able to
  16. ball — a great time
  17. season — in sport
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. root — of a word
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. can — a tin
  22. stand — to bear
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. root — the cause

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