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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: racket · root · wave · bay · perch · bulb · mate · jam

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. root — the cause
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. root — of a word
  7. mate — a partner
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — to breed
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. root — of a plant
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bulb — for light
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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