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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. file — a tool
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. file — a line of people
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. cap — a lid
  7. fine — all right
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. kid — to tease
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. root — of a plant
  15. file — a document
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cap — a hat
  20. fine — high quality
  21. root — the cause
  22. kid — child
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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