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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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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: saw · root · fan · racket · key · tear · bowl · squash

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. root — of a word
  6. saw — the tool
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. key — the most important part
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. root — the cause
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. tear — to rip
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. tear — from crying
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. saw — the tool
  20. squash — to crush
  21. key — in music
  22. squash — the sport
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. key — for a lock

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