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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: bore · net · temple · bass · capital · staff · fall · root

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bass — the fish
  4. fall — to drop
  5. root — of a plant
  6. staff — employees
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. root — the cause
  9. bore — to drill
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. root — of a word
  14. bass — low music
  15. bore — to tire
  16. fall — to drop
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — in sport
  19. capital — money
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. fall — the season
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. capital — a city

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