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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.

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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: sharp · root · plane · deal · snap · swing · season · racket

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — to handle
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. root — of a word
  6. root — the cause
  7. season — of the year
  8. snap — to click
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. sharp — clever
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. swing — to play on
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. swing — music
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. season — in sport
  21. swing — in golf
  22. plane — a tool
  23. root — of a plant
  24. racket — a loud noise

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