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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 · date · staff · stick · coach · wave · bat · jam

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. staff — employees
  4. root — of a plant
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — the cause
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. staff — employees
  12. date — the fruit
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bat — the animal
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. staff — a stick

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