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

Word bank: suit · root · mine · wave · wind · racket · fork · net

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. wind — moving air
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. wind — moving air
  7. fork — in a road
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. root — of a plant
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. net — for catching
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. mine — for digging
  17. suit — in cards
  18. suit — clothes
  19. net — in sport
  20. suit — to fit
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. net — after costs
  23. root — of a word
  24. wave — with your hand

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