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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: current · chair · root · straw · scale · prune · fork · game

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. game — wild animals
  5. chair — a leader
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. current — of water
  8. game — a match
  9. prune — to trim
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. current — electric
  14. scale — size or range
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. scale — in music
  18. current — happening now
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. fork — in a road
  21. root — the cause
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  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