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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: racket · root · key · foot · tube · wax · track · snap

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. root — of a word
  3. track — a song
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. key — the most important part
  7. wax — to grow
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. tube — a container
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. tube — the underground
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. root — the cause
  14. track — to keep track
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. snap — to click
  18. key — for a lock
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. key — in music
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. track — a path
  24. root — of a plant

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