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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 · fan · spring · foot · lash · club · bore · net

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. net — in sport
  5. spring — the season
  6. club — a group
  7. net — after costs
  8. spring — of water
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. club — for dancing
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. root — of a word
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bore — to drill
  19. net — for catching
  20. foot — a measure
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bore — to tire
  23. root — the cause
  24. spring — a coil

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