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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 120 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: board · spell · rash · nail · tear · root · racket · club

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  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. tear — from crying
  2. root — the cause
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. rash — a series
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. tear — from crying
  8. board — a committee
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — magic
  11. club — for golf
  12. tear — to rip
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. root — of a word
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. rash — hasty
  18. club — a group
  19. root — of a plant
  20. spell — a short time
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. board — to get on
  23. club — for dancing
  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