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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: root · bore · bowl · mark · ground · cabinet · chest · pop

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. ground — crushed
  3. bore — to drill
  4. root — the cause
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. chest — a box
  8. pop — music
  9. ground — a position
  10. root — of a plant
  11. mark — a grade
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. chest — of your body
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. root — of a word
  17. pop — to visit
  18. chest — of your body
  19. ground — the earth
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bore — to tire
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a trace
  24. pop — soda

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