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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 · club · bark · root · pit · mug · mate · clip

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. root — of a word
  3. clip — for paper
  4. bark — to shout
  5. root — the cause
  6. club — a group
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. clip — a video
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. mug — a face
  14. pit — a hole
  15. mug — to rob
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a partner
  18. root — of a plant
  19. mug — a cup
  20. clip — to cut
  21. club — for golf
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. club — for dancing

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