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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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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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. root — of a word
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. root — the cause
  11. bulb — for light
  12. rule — government
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. kid — to tease
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. rule — a law
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. branch — a division
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. kid — child
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. root — of a plant
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. bulb — for light

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