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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: root · foot · shower · racket · present · mate · net · pitcher

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. shower — rain
  3. net — for catching
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. net — in sport
  10. mate — a friend
  11. foot — a measure
  12. root — the cause
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. net — after costs
  15. mate — to breed
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. root — of a plant
  18. present — there
  19. root — of a word
  20. mate — a partner
  21. present — a gift
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. present — the time now
  24. shower — to wash

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