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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 120 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: bark · root · wave · net · staff · row · pass · racket

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. staff — employees
  5. net — after costs
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. root — of a word
  8. staff — employees
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. root — of a plant
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — a permit
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. bark — to shout
  17. net — in sport
  18. root — the cause
  19. row — a line
  20. row — to paddle
  21. staff — a stick
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. pass — to succeed

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