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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 · pit · current · object · last · deal · racket · ball

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. root — of a plant
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — in a race
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — the cause
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. current — electric
  14. last — to go on
  15. object — a thing
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — an aim
  18. deal — to handle
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. ball — a great time
  21. current — of water
  22. current — happening now
  23. last — final
  24. ball — a dance

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