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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: nail · key · rock · degree · racket · coach · kick · root

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. kick — in football
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. key — in music
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. root — of a word
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. rock — a stone
  14. root — the cause
  15. degree — an amount
  16. rock — music
  17. key — the most important part
  18. root — of a plant
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. degree — temperature
  22. degree — from a university
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. kick — with a leg

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