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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 116 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: pass · deal · racket · tear · root · ball · key · rule

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — from crying
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. key — in music
  7. deal — to handle
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. root — of a word
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. rule — government
  14. rule — a law
  15. root — the cause
  16. key — the most important part
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a great time
  19. pass — a permit
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. key — for a lock
  23. root — of a plant
  24. tear — to rip

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