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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. net — in sport
  3. root — of a plant
  4. degree — temperature
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. net — after costs
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. hand — in cards
  10. root — of a word
  11. squash — to crush
  12. root — the cause
  13. cue — a hint
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. hand — help
  17. cue — a signal
  18. row — a line
  19. degree — from a university
  20. cue — for pool
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. squash — the sport
  23. net — for catching
  24. degree — an amount

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