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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: wave · straw · pass · root · bat · fork · suit · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. root — of a word
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. suit — clothes
  8. root — of a plant
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bat — the animal
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. current — happening now
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. suit — in cards
  15. fork — in a road
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. current — electric
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. root — the cause
  22. pass — a permit
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. pass — to spend time

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