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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 116 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: suit · present · calf · ruler · season · net · drill · root

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. season — in sport
  3. suit — to fit
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. root — of a plant
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. present — a gift
  11. drill — army training
  12. net — after costs
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. net — for catching
  15. present — there
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — clothes
  18. drill — the tool
  19. season — of the year
  20. drill — a practice
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. present — the time now
  23. net — in sport
  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