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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: kid · net · root · chest · present · racket · ruler · stand

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — for catching
  3. present — there
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — of your body
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. root — of a word
  14. root — the cause
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. root — of a plant
  17. kid — to tease
  18. present — the time now
  19. kid — child
  20. stand — to bear
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. present — a gift
  23. chest — a box
  24. net — after costs

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