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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: key · board · root · current · bear · stem · pitch · rest

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. key — the most important part
  3. board — a committee
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rest — a break
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. rest — what's left
  9. stem — to come from
  10. root — of a word
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. root — of a plant
  15. key — in music
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rest — what's left
  18. current — electric
  19. current — of water
  20. board — to get on
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. root — the cause
  24. key — for a lock

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