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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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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: deal · current · bowl · fork · root · mark · tube · chest

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. chest — of your body
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. current — electric
  9. current — happening now
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. chest — a box
  14. tube — a container
  15. root — the cause
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. tube — the underground
  18. fork — in a road
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. deal — to handle
  22. current — of water
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — of a word

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