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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: suit · scale · row · ruler · racket · mouse · snap · root

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. row — a line
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. root — the cause
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. root — of a word
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. suit — in cards
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. row — to paddle
  12. suit — clothes
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. snap — to click
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. root — of a plant
  21. suit — to fit
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — size or range
  24. row — a quarrel

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