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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: chair · key · bound · kid · racket · root · plane · club

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. club — for golf
  3. root — of a word
  4. kid — child
  5. root — of a plant
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. root — the cause
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bound — obliged
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — for a lock
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. club — a group
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. bound — tied together
  18. key — in music
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. club — for dancing
  22. kid — to tease
  23. bound — certain
  24. chair — to sit on

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