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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 116 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: pop · net · row · root · rest · mate · saw · deal

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. net — after costs
  3. saw — the tool
  4. net — in sport
  5. mate — to breed
  6. rest — a break
  7. mate — a partner
  8. rest — what's left
  9. row — to paddle
  10. pop — to visit
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. row — a line
  14. root — of a plant
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. root — of a word
  17. saw — the tool
  18. deal — to handle
  19. mate — a friend
  20. net — for catching
  21. pop — soda
  22. rest — what's left
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. root — the cause

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