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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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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: cabinet · court · dip · rule · racket · nail · saw · root

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. court — of a king
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. root — of a plant
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. court — for sport
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. saw — the tool
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. rule — a law
  16. root — of a word
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. court — of law
  19. rule — government
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. root — the cause
  23. dip — to sink
  24. saw — the tool

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