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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: current · stick · rock · cue · wave · root · spring · pit

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. spring — the season
  6. rock — music
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. current — happening now
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a signal
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. pit — in a race
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — of a word
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. current — electric
  18. cue — a hint
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. spring — of water
  21. current — of water
  22. root — the cause
  23. spring — a coil
  24. pit — a hole

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