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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: saw · root · net · bore · board · game · sharp · land

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. land — to come down
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. land — ground
  6. land — a country
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. game — wild animals
  9. net — after costs
  10. root — of a word
  11. net — for catching
  12. root — the cause
  13. game — a match
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to drill
  16. sharp — clever
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a committee
  19. saw — the tool
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. root — of a plant
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bore — to tire

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