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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: kid · root · dip · bulb · net · ruler · bore · land

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. land — to come down
  3. bulb — for light
  4. dip — to sink
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. net — in sport
  7. kid — to tease
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. net — for catching
  10. root — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. land — a country
  13. root — of a word
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. root — the cause
  16. bore — to tire
  17. net — after costs
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. land — ground
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bore — to drill
  24. dip — to dunk

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