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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 120 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 · can · face · saw · content · root · game · racket

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  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. game — wild animals
  2. game — a match
  3. root — of a word
  4. can — to be able to
  5. saw — the tool
  6. content — happy
  7. saw — the tool
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. face — to point toward
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. face — to confront
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. face — part of the head
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. can — a tin
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. can — a tin
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. root — the cause
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. content — the amount
  23. content — videos and posts
  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