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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: roll · press · rule · net · bat · root · racket · calf

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. root — of a plant
  3. rule — a law
  4. net — after costs
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. root — of a word
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. net — for catching
  10. root — the cause
  11. press — a publisher
  12. press — to push
  13. roll — a cake
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. press — newspapers
  19. net — in sport
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. roll — a list
  24. bat — the animal

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