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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 120 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: pop · root · fine · bore · sharp · net · wind · band

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  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 — in sport
  2. pop — music
  3. root — of a plant
  4. wind — moving air
  5. root — the cause
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. band — a ring
  8. bore — to drill
  9. net — for catching
  10. band — a music group
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. wind — moving air
  13. sharp — clever
  14. fine — high quality
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. fine — all right
  17. root — of a word
  18. net — after costs
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. pop — soda
  21. bore — to tire
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. wind — to turn a key
  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