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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. root — the cause
  4. spring — the season
  5. current — happening now
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. spring — of water
  8. spring — a coil
  9. root — of a plant
  10. pitch — completely
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. root — of a word
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — in cards
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. suit — to fit
  22. current — of water
  23. racket — a loud noise
  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