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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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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 · last · bowl · mark · chest · arm · bulb · root

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. root — of a word
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bulb — for light
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. last — to go on
  11. chest — a box
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. last — final
  15. root — the cause
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. root — of a plant
  18. mark — a trace
  19. chest — of your body
  20. last — finally
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. chest — of your body

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