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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rock · cabinet · bear · racket · root · last

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. root — of a word
  3. last — to go on
  4. root — the cause
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. rock — music
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. root — of a plant
  14. rock — a stone
  15. last — final
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. last — finally
  18. rock — to move gently

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