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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: cue · lash · degree · club · root · spell · racket · patient

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. degree — temperature
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. spell — letters
  6. cue — a hint
  7. club — a group
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. degree — from a university
  12. spell — a short time
  13. root — of a plant
  14. cue — a signal
  15. club — for golf
  16. degree — an amount
  17. root — of a word
  18. cue — for pool
  19. root — the cause
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. club — for dancing
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. spell — magic

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