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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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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: suit · capital · wave · pit · root · bark · land · lash

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. suit — in cards
  4. root — of a word
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. suit — clothes
  7. land — to come down
  8. capital — money
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. land — a country
  11. pit — a hole
  12. capital — a city
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. pit — in a race
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. bark — to shout
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. suit — to fit
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. land — ground
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. root — the cause
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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