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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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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: mark · row · mouse · racket · root · bulb · foot · fall

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. row — a line
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. root — the cause
  8. row — to paddle
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. root — of a word
  11. fall — the season
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. foot — a measure
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bulb — for light
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. bulb — for light
  20. root — of a plant
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. fall — to drop
  24. racket — for tennis

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