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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 120 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: bear · lash · capital · rest · racket · stick · game · root

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. capital — a city
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. rest — what's left
  6. game — a match
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. rest — a break
  11. root — of a plant
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. capital — money
  16. game — wild animals
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — the cause
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. rest — what's left

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