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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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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 · racket · rest · season · calf · ruler · object · cue

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. season — of the year
  3. rest — a break
  4. cue — a signal
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. object — a thing
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. object — an aim
  11. rest — what's left
  12. root — the cause
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. object — to protest
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cue — for pool
  18. season — in sport
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. cue — a hint
  21. rest — what's left
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — of a word

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