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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.

Words on the sheet
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: club · fine · bore · saw · ball · capital · rule · root

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. saw — the tool
  4. root — the cause
  5. root — of a plant
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. capital — money
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bore — to tire
  11. fine — all right
  12. saw — the tool
  13. fine — high quality
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. rule — government
  16. root — of a word
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. club — a group
  19. bore — to drill
  20. rule — a law
  21. club — for dancing
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. ball — a great time
  24. capital — a city

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