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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: rule · ball · season · snap · root · mark · wave · racket

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. root — of a word
  5. season — of the year
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rule — government
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. root — of a plant
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. snap — to click
  13. mark — a grade
  14. rule — a law
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. ball — a great time
  17. root — the cause
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. season — in sport
  20. mark — a trace
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ball — a dance
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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