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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: fan · land · wave · root · current · field · arm · dip

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. field — for sport
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. root — of a word
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. land — a country
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. dip — to sink
  11. field — farmland
  12. land — ground
  13. land — to come down
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. field — a subject
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. current — happening now
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. root — the cause
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. current — of water
  24. current — electric

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