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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · hide · suit · kid · net · present · root · bore

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. present — a gift
  4. bore — to drill
  5. kid — child
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. net — in sport
  8. present — there
  9. net — for catching
  10. kid — to tease
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. suit — in cards
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bore — to tire
  16. root — the cause
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. pop — soda
  19. root — of a word
  20. suit — to fit
  21. suit — clothes
  22. present — the time now
  23. pop — music
  24. pop — to visit

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