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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: bass · suit · root · wind · hand · degree · staff · current

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — moving air
  4. current — happening now
  5. root — the cause
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — clothes
  8. degree — temperature
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. suit — to fit
  11. root — of a plant
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. current — of water
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bass — the fish
  16. staff — employees
  17. hand — in cards
  18. staff — a stick
  19. root — of a word
  20. degree — from a university
  21. hand — help
  22. degree — an amount
  23. staff — employees
  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