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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. root — of a plant
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. land — ground
  6. sharp — clever
  7. root — the cause
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. chair — a leader
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. can — to be able to
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. can — a tin
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. land — to come down
  17. root — of a word
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. rock — a stone
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. rock — music
  22. can — a tin
  23. land — a country
  24. sharp — exactly

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