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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: pound · stick · perch · current · root · bat · dip · wave

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. root — the cause
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bat — the animal
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. perch — the fish
  8. root — of a plant
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pound — a weight
  12. dip — to sink
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. root — of a word
  19. current — electric
  20. current — of water
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. current — happening now

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