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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 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. ground — crushed
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. ground — the earth
  7. rest — a break
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. root — of a plant
  10. ground — a position
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. root — of a word
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rest — what's left
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. stock — goods
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. rest — what's left
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. root — the cause
  21. stock — shares
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. chair — a leader

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