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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: racket · lash · field · wave · root · branch · bore · deal

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. field — a subject
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. field — for sport
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. field — farmland
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. root — the cause
  16. branch — a division
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — to drill
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. deal — to handle
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. root — of a plant

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