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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: root · dip · racket · kid · mark · staff · last · plane

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. kid — to tease
  3. last — finally
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. root — of a word
  6. plane — a tool
  7. staff — employees
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. root — of a plant
  10. last — final
  11. dip — to sink
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. mark — a trace
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. kid — child
  18. mark — a grade
  19. staff — employees
  20. last — to go on
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. staff — a stick
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. dip — to dunk

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