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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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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: bay · firm · mate · club · hand · season · bore · root

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. root — the cause
  3. mate — to breed
  4. bore — to drill
  5. season — in sport
  6. mate — a partner
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. firm — a company
  10. root — of a plant
  11. club — for golf
  12. hand — in cards
  13. club — a group
  14. hand — help
  15. season — of the year
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. bore — to tire
  18. firm — steady
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. club — for dancing
  23. root — of a word
  24. firm — decided

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