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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: suit · bore · track · cap · clip · drill · staff · root

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. drill — army training
  3. bore — to tire
  4. drill — a practice
  5. staff — employees
  6. root — of a word
  7. track — a path
  8. track — a song
  9. track — to keep track
  10. cap — a hat
  11. clip — to cut
  12. root — the cause
  13. cap — a lid
  14. staff — a stick
  15. drill — the tool
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bore — to drill
  18. clip — for paper
  19. staff — employees
  20. clip — a video
  21. cap — of ice
  22. suit — to fit
  23. suit — clothes
  24. root — of a plant

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