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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 · board · racket · object · wind · mug · roll · rush

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. mug — a cup
  3. object — to protest
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. roll — a cake
  6. board — a committee
  7. mug — to rob
  8. root — of a plant
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. object — a thing
  12. roll — a list
  13. root — the cause
  14. wind — moving air
  15. object — an aim
  16. rush — hurry
  17. board — to get on
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. mug — a face
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. root — of a word
  24. wind — moving air

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