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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: trunk · cue · racket · deal · rest · spell · root · wound

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. wound — an injury
  4. cue — for pool
  5. root — of a word
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. root — of a plant
  8. spell — letters
  9. rest — what's left
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. rest — what's left
  13. cue — a hint
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. wound — an injury
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. spell — magic
  19. rest — a break
  20. spell — a short time
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cue — a signal
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. deal — to handle

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