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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: bat · root · board · spring · craft · foot · bore · land

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. land — to come down
  5. spring — of water
  6. craft — boats
  7. root — of a plant
  8. root — the cause
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. spring — the season
  11. bore — to drill
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. foot — a measure
  14. land — ground
  15. craft — a skill
  16. land — a country
  17. board — to get on
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. board — a committee
  23. bat — the animal
  24. root — of a word

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