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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: root · racket · board · net · mine · deal · patient · trunk

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. root — the cause
  4. root — of a word
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. net — after costs
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. net — for catching
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. board — a committee
  20. deal — to handle
  21. mine — for digging
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. root — of a plant
  24. net — in sport

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