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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 120 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: tube · wave · root · ground · racket · fine · bark · safe

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. root — of a word
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. tube — a container
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. ground — a position
  10. bark — to shout
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. fine — high quality
  14. root — of a plant
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. ground — crushed
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. root — the cause
  20. fine — all right
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. tube — the underground
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. ground — the earth

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