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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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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: calf · rush · swing · root · spell · craft · racket · mate

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. craft — boats
  5. spell — letters
  6. root — the cause
  7. mate — to breed
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. root — of a plant
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. swing — to play on
  14. spell — a short time
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. root — of a word
  20. spell — magic
  21. rush — hurry
  22. swing — music
  23. mate — a partner
  24. swing — in golf

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