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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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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: net · game · racket · firm · perch · cell · coach · root

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. net — in sport
  3. root — of a plant
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. firm — a company
  8. root — the cause
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. net — after costs
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. cell — in biology
  13. game — a match
  14. net — for catching
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. firm — steady
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. firm — decided
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. root — of a word
  24. perch — the fish

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