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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: patient · root · hand · cue · racket · craft · lie · pop

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pop — soda
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. cue — a hint
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. root — the cause
  7. craft — a skill
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. root — of a plant
  11. lie — to recline
  12. root — of a word
  13. craft — boats
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — for pool
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. pop — music
  18. hand — in cards
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. hand — help
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pop — to visit

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