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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: key · safe · press · last · rush · root · racket · fine

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rush — hurry
  3. last — to go on
  4. key — in music
  5. root — of a plant
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — high quality
  8. last — finally
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. press — a publisher
  13. root — of a word
  14. press — newspapers
  15. press — to push
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. key — for a lock
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. last — final
  21. root — the cause
  22. key — the most important part
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. racket — for tennis

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