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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.

Words on the sheet
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 · squash · bear · net · snap · key · current · bat

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. snap — to click
  3. root — of a word
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. bat — the animal
  6. net — for catching
  7. squash — the sport
  8. current — electric
  9. current — happening now
  10. bear — the animal
  11. net — after costs
  12. bear — the animal
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. root — the cause
  16. squash — to crush
  17. root — of a plant
  18. key — in music
  19. key — the most important part
  20. current — of water
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bear — to put up with

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