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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 · root · capital · snap · mouse · dip · bark · key

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  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. bark — to shout
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. snap — to click
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. key — the most important part
  6. dip — to sink
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. capital — a city
  9. root — of a plant
  10. capital — money
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. key — in music
  14. root — of a word
  15. root — the cause
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bark — of a tree
  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