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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. race — the arms race
  3. root — the cause
  4. bank — of a river
  5. current — of water
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. land — to come down
  8. race — a contest
  9. current — happening now
  10. land — ground
  11. root — of a plant
  12. kid — to tease
  13. root — of a word
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. race — humankind
  17. current — electric
  18. land — a country

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