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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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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: root · rest · wound · wake · fine · racket · pound · craft

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rest — a break
  4. root — the cause
  5. craft — boats
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wake — a trail
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — a weight
  11. root — of a plant
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — high quality
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. craft — a skill
  21. rest — what's left
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. wound — an injury

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