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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: mine · net · mug · bore · tear · kid · root · ground

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. tear — to rip
  3. ground — crushed
  4. kid — child
  5. net — after costs
  6. mug — a face
  7. net — in sport
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. ground — the earth
  10. tear — from crying
  11. kid — to tease
  12. tear — from crying
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — the cause
  18. bore — to tire
  19. mug — a cup
  20. net — for catching
  21. mine — for digging
  22. ground — a position
  23. mug — to rob
  24. bore — to drill

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