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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: dip · ball · rash · root · squash · craft · racket · row

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. root — of a word
  4. squash — to crush
  5. dip — to sink
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. root — of a plant
  10. craft — boats
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rash — a series
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. row — a line
  16. squash — the sport
  17. root — the cause
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. row — to paddle
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. rash — hasty
  22. craft — a skill
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. ball — a great time

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