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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: net · fork · bore · content · can · root · saw · staff

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. saw — the tool
  3. net — for catching
  4. can — a tin
  5. content — happy
  6. can — a tin
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bore — to tire
  10. net — after costs
  11. root — of a word
  12. saw — the tool
  13. root — the cause
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. staff — a stick
  16. bore — to drill
  17. root — of a plant
  18. net — in sport
  19. staff — employees
  20. fork — in a road
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. can — to be able to
  23. content — the amount
  24. bore — gave birth

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