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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: field · ground · nail · root · kick · cap · sharp · racket

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. root — of a plant
  4. field — a subject
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. field — farmland
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. root — the cause
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. field — for sport
  12. ground — a position
  13. kick — in football
  14. cap — of ice
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. cap — a hat
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. ground — the earth
  20. cap — a lid
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. ground — crushed
  23. root — of a word
  24. sharp — clever

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