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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: cell · root · mouse · clip · bore · land · bowl · nail

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. root — of a plant
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cell — a phone
  5. land — a country
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. root — of a word
  8. clip — to cut
  9. cell — in biology
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. clip — a video
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. land — to come down
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. clip — for paper
  24. land — ground

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