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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 120 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 · pass · rule · plane · press · calf · game · root

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. root — the cause
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. root — of a plant
  9. pass — a permit
  10. game — a match
  11. plane — a tool
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. press — a publisher
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. root — of a word
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. rule — a law
  19. press — newspapers
  20. game — wild animals
  21. press — to push
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. plane — in geometry

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