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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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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. root — the cause
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. rush — hurry
  8. plane — a tool
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. root — of a plant
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. root — of a word
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. rush — to hurry

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