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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: mouse · last · spell · net · saw · racket · plane · root

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. net — for catching
  5. root — of a word
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — after costs
  8. root — of a plant
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. spell — a short time
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. spell — magic
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. spell — letters
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. last — final
  19. last — finally
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. root — the cause
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. plane — a tool
  24. last — to go on

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