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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. kid — to tease
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — a tool
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. root — of a word
  12. firm — steady
  13. kid — child
  14. roll — a cake
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. net — for catching
  19. root — the cause
  20. firm — decided
  21. root — of a plant
  22. firm — a company
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. wake — a trail

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