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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: root · row · fan · scale · sharp · drill · wound · tube

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. scale — in music
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — the tool
  7. wound — an injury
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. scale — size or range
  10. row — to paddle
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. root — of a word
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. drill — army training
  16. row — a line
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — a container
  20. wound — an injury
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. root — of a plant
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. sharp — clever

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