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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.

Make a worksheet

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: root · game · rock · sharp · kid · racket · file · rash

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. root — of a plant
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. root — of a word
  5. rash — a series
  6. rock — a stone
  7. kid — to tease
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. file — a tool
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. game — a match
  15. rash — hasty
  16. kid — child
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. rock — music
  19. game — wild animals
  20. file — a line of people
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. root — the cause
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. file — a document

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