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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: content · root · current · bay · cold · rule · object · perch

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. content — happy
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. cold — not warm
  6. rule — government
  7. content — the amount
  8. root — the cause
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — to protest
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. current — electric
  13. rule — a law
  14. root — of a plant
  15. object — an aim
  16. current — of water
  17. cold — an illness
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. perch — the fish
  22. root — of a word
  23. current — happening now
  24. bay — a horse colour

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