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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 120 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: sharp · bore · club · race · root · mark · net · spell

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. root — of a plant
  3. sharp — clever
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. club — a group
  6. race — humankind
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — magic
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. net — for catching
  12. bore — to drill
  13. mark — a trace
  14. root — of a word
  15. net — in sport
  16. club — for dancing
  17. net — after costs
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to tire
  20. race — a contest
  21. spell — letters
  22. race — the arms race
  23. club — for golf
  24. sharp — with an edge

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