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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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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: root · bay · pitcher · fork · roll · tube · lash · current

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fork — in a road
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. root — of a plant
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. tube — a container
  8. current — electric
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. current — of water
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. roll — a list
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. root — the cause
  20. current — happening now
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. roll — a cake
  24. root — of a word

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