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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pass — a permit
  6. fork — in a road
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. root — of a word
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. root — of a plant
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. staff — employees
  13. root — the cause
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. squash — to crush
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. staff — employees
  18. wax — to grow
  19. staff — a stick
  20. squash — the sport
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. racket — a loud noise

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