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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: coach · bound · bore · stem · drill · root · land · cap

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bound — certain
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. root — the cause
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bore — to tire
  10. cap — a lid
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. land — ground
  14. root — of a word
  15. land — a country
  16. drill — a practice
  17. bound — obliged
  18. land — to come down
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. root — of a plant
  21. cap — of ice
  22. drill — the tool
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. drill — army training

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