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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: nail · season · present · root · game · racket · tube · staff

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. present — there
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. game — wild animals
  6. root — of a word
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. present — a gift
  9. staff — a stick
  10. game — a match
  11. season — in sport
  12. tube — a container
  13. root — the cause
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. staff — employees
  17. root — of a plant
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — of the year
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. staff — employees
  24. present — the time now

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