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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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468
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: hand · racket · fork · can · band · rock · craft · root

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. rock — music
  5. can — to be able to
  6. root — of a word
  7. band — a music group
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — in cards
  10. craft — a skill
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. fork — in a road
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. rock — a stone
  17. band — a ring
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. root — the cause
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. hand — help
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. root — of a plant
  24. craft — boats

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