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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: season · root · drill · rock · ball · roll · swing · trunk

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. root — the cause
  3. drill — the tool
  4. season — of the year
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. rock — a stone
  10. drill — a practice
  11. swing — in golf
  12. roll — a cake
  13. swing — music
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. root — of a plant
  16. ball — a dance
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. ball — a great time
  19. drill — army training
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. swing — to play on
  22. rock — music
  23. root — of a word
  24. season — in sport

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