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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: drill · bore · root · game · perch · stem · net · nail

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. root — of a plant
  3. drill — the tool
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. root — the cause
  6. bore — to drill
  7. net — in sport
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. net — after costs
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stem — to come from
  14. game — wild animals
  15. net — for catching
  16. bore — to tire
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. drill — army training
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. drill — a practice
  22. perch — the fish
  23. game — a match
  24. game — a kind of play

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