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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: last · current · net · root · bark · pass · squash · kick

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. net — for catching
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. last — finally
  8. last — to go on
  9. net — after costs
  10. squash — to crush
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. root — of a plant
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. kick — in football
  18. root — the cause
  19. current — of water
  20. net — in sport
  21. current — electric
  22. root — of a word
  23. last — final
  24. current — happening now

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