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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: season · cap · club · can · bore · root · fork · mug

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. club — for golf
  3. season — in sport
  4. root — of a word
  5. mug — to rob
  6. bore — to tire
  7. can — a tin
  8. club — for dancing
  9. fork — in a road
  10. mug — a face
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. club — a group
  13. root — the cause
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bore — to drill
  17. season — of the year
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. can — a tin
  20. mug — a cup
  21. root — of a plant
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — a lid

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