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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: last · root · racket · rule · toast · bank · object · bulb

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bulb — for light
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. last — to go on
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. root — of a word
  7. bank — for money
  8. object — an aim
  9. rule — a law
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. rule — government
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. root — the cause
  14. last — finally
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. toast — bread
  17. bank — for money
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. bulb — for light
  20. object — a thing
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bank — of a river
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. last — final

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