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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: net · file · deal · racket · cap · root · mug · safe

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. root — of a plant
  3. cap — of ice
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. deal — to handle
  6. root — of a word
  7. net — after costs
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a face
  10. file — a tool
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cap — a lid
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. file — a document
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — for catching
  20. mug — a cup
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. root — the cause
  24. file — a line of people

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