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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: rest · root · pitch · spring · bore · rule · game · stem

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bore — to drill
  3. game — wild animals
  4. game — a match
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. spring — of water
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. root — of a plant
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — to come from
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. rule — government
  14. spring — a coil
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a word
  17. pitch — completely
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. rest — what's left
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. spring — the season
  23. rule — a law
  24. rest — a break

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