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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.

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: race · root · wax · pitcher · staff · current · court · temple

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. wax — to grow
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. court — for sport
  5. root — of a plant
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — a contest
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. root — the cause
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. current — of water
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. race — humankind
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — a stick
  19. court — of law
  20. court — of a king
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. root — of a word
  23. staff — employees
  24. current — happening now

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