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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: racket · game · drill · spell · mug · last · fan · root

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. root — of a plant
  3. mug — to rob
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. last — finally
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. drill — army training
  8. root — of a word
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. root — the cause
  11. game — wild animals
  12. last — to go on
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. spell — letters
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. mug — a cup
  18. game — a match
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. drill — the tool
  21. drill — a practice
  22. spell — magic
  23. mug — a face
  24. last — final

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