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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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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: bowl · stick · racket · tear · root · fine

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — from crying
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. tear — to rip
  8. fine — all right
  9. root — of a plant
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — the cause
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bowl — a football final

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