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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 116 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: root · trunk · net · row · wound · pitch · current · pop

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — music
  5. current — of water
  6. row — to paddle
  7. row — a line
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. root — of a plant
  10. net — in sport
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. net — for catching
  13. current — electric
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. root — of a word
  16. pop — to visit
  17. current — happening now
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. root — the cause
  22. wound — an injury
  23. pitch — completely
  24. net — after costs

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