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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. perch — the fish
  5. current — happening now
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. object — to protest
  9. root — the cause
  10. deal — to handle
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. root — of a plant
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. pound — a weight
  21. current — of water
  22. object — an aim
  23. object — a thing
  24. current — electric

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