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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: root · mouse · game · field · rush · ruler · drill · season

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. root — of a plant
  3. season — in sport
  4. field — farmland
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. root — the cause
  7. drill — the tool
  8. drill — army training
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. rush — hurry
  14. field — for sport
  15. game — wild animals
  16. drill — a practice
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. root — of a word
  21. season — of the year
  22. field — a subject
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. ruler — for measuring

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