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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 116 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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. root — the cause
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. rash — a series
  8. root — of a plant
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. bass — the fish
  12. rash — hasty
  13. tube — a container
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. tube — the underground
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. root — of a word

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