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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: root · bark · chair · current · ball · chip · lean · march

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. chair — a leader
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. bark — to shout
  5. march — music
  6. chip — to eat
  7. march — the month
  8. lean — thin
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a word
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. current — electric
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. current — of water
  16. ball — a great time
  17. march — the month
  18. ball — a dance
  19. lean — to bend
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. chip — for betting
  22. root — of a plant
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. chip — in a computer

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