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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: can · root · lean · field · rush · net · mouse · rest

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. root — the cause
  3. can — a tin
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. can — to be able to
  6. field — a subject
  7. rest — a break
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. can — a tin
  10. field — farmland
  11. rest — what's left
  12. field — for sport
  13. lean — thin
  14. net — for catching
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rest — what's left
  18. root — of a word
  19. net — in sport
  20. root — of a plant
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. lean — to bend
  23. net — after costs
  24. lean — to rest against

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