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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: root · racket · rest · stand · band · deal · scale · net

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  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 — of a plant
  2. band — a music group
  3. root — of a word
  4. rest — what's left
  5. root — the cause
  6. band — a ring
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. scale — size or range
  9. rest — a break
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. net — in sport
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. net — for catching
  15. rest — what's left
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. stand — to bear
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. net — after costs
  23. scale — in music
  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