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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. root — of a word
  6. root — the cause
  7. saw — the tool
  8. can — to be able to
  9. roll — a list
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. roll — a cake
  12. scale — in music
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wake — a trail
  16. scale — size or range
  17. can — a tin
  18. saw — the tool
  19. can — a tin
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. root — of a plant
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. racket — for tennis

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