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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: can · jam · net · chest · march · rest · racket · root

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. can — a tin
  4. net — after costs
  5. rest — a break
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. net — in sport
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. root — of a plant
  10. can — to be able to
  11. march — the month
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. net — for catching
  15. march — music
  16. chest — of your body
  17. root — of a word
  18. can — a tin
  19. root — the cause
  20. chest — a box
  21. rest — what's left
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. march — the month
  24. chest — of your body

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