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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. tube — a container
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. degree — from a university
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. degree — an amount
  11. suit — clothes
  12. sharp — clever
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. vault — a safe
  16. degree — temperature
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. suit — to fit
  19. root — of a plant
  20. root — the cause
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. suit — in cards
  24. racket — a loud noise

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