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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: mate · bore · game · row · pit · cap · root · rock

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bore — to drill
  4. root — of a plant
  5. pit — a hole
  6. root — the cause
  7. row — to paddle
  8. mate — to breed
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. cap — a hat
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. rock — a stone
  15. game — wild animals
  16. cap — of ice
  17. root — of a word
  18. game — a match
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. mate — a friend
  21. row — a line
  22. rock — music
  23. pit — in a race
  24. cap — a lid

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