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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 · bowl · wake · bay · root · rash · wind · pit

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. pit — in a race
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. root — the cause
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wind — moving air
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. rash — hasty
  19. root — of a word
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — a hole
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. rash — a series
  24. racket — a loud noise

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