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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 120 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: mine · root · present · leaves · net · suit · shower · march

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. net — in sport
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. march — music
  7. present — the time now
  8. net — after costs
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. shower — to wash
  11. shower — rain
  12. net — for catching
  13. root — of a word
  14. present — there
  15. suit — in cards
  16. present — a gift
  17. march — the month
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. root — of a plant
  20. mine — for digging
  21. march — the month
  22. suit — to fit
  23. root — the cause
  24. leaves — of a tree

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