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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
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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: object · foot · net · root · wind · current · bay · season

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. root — of a plant
  3. current — happening now
  4. root — of a word
  5. object — to protest
  6. net — after costs
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. wind — moving air
  9. season — in sport
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. net — for catching
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. root — the cause
  16. object — an aim
  17. net — in sport
  18. season — of the year
  19. foot — a measure
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. wind — moving air
  23. current — of water
  24. object — a thing

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