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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pit · mark · dip · net · foot · row · current · root

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. net — after costs
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — of a word
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. pit — in a race
  10. net — for catching
  11. current — happening now
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — a grade
  15. foot — a measure
  16. net — in sport
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. row — to paddle
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. current — of water
  21. pit — a hole
  22. current — electric
  23. row — a line
  24. dip — to sink

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