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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.

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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: cap · file · deal · root · wind · mug · racket · rash

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. cap — of ice
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a document
  7. deal — to handle
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. root — of a word
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. mug — a cup
  12. wind — moving air
  13. cap — a hat
  14. rash — hasty
  15. mug — to rob
  16. root — the cause
  17. cap — a lid
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. file — a line of people
  21. wind — moving air
  22. root — of a plant
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. wind — to turn a key

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