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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: cold · pit · file · root · current · craft · leaves · pop

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. craft — a skill
  4. current — happening now
  5. file — a tool
  6. pop — soda
  7. root — the cause
  8. file — a document
  9. cold — not warm
  10. file — a line of people
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. cold — an illness
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — music
  17. pit — in a race
  18. craft — boats
  19. root — of a word
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. current — of water
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. current — electric
  24. root — of a plant

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