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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: racket · rock · game · mug · press · root · file · net

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. root — the cause
  3. press — a publisher
  4. mug — to rob
  5. rock — a stone
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. net — for catching
  8. game — wild animals
  9. root — of a plant
  10. mug — a face
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. file — a document
  14. file — a tool
  15. rock — music
  16. net — after costs
  17. press — to push
  18. game — a match
  19. root — of a word
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. net — in sport
  22. file — a line of people
  23. mug — a cup
  24. press — newspapers

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