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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: fine · season · ground · cabinet · net · root · wake · mate

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fine — all right
  3. season — of the year
  4. net — for catching
  5. wake — a trail
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — crushed
  10. mate — a partner
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. season — in sport
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a plant
  17. mate — to breed
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. net — in sport
  21. root — of a word
  22. ground — a position
  23. net — after costs
  24. mate — a friend

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