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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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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: root · cell · club · roll · rush · wave · bay · tube

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. roll — a cake
  4. root — the cause
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. cell — in biology
  7. root — of a word
  8. tube — a container
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. tube — the underground
  16. rush — hurry
  17. club — a group
  18. root — of a plant
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. cell — a phone
  21. roll — a list
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. club — for dancing

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