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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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: wind · bat · scale · current · roll · root · spell · racket

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  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. bat — the animal
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. spell — letters
  4. scale — in music
  5. current — happening now
  6. root — of a plant
  7. current — electric
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. root — of a word
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. spell — magic
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. scale — size or range
  14. current — of water
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. spell — a short time
  17. roll — a cake
  18. root — the cause
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. wind — moving air
  21. roll — a list
  22. wind — moving air
  23. racket — for tennis
  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