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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: bowl · bore · fine · wave · wake · mug · root · current

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. current — of water
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bore — to tire
  8. mug — to rob
  9. fine — all right
  10. current — happening now
  11. mug — a face
  12. root — the cause
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. mug — a cup
  19. root — of a plant
  20. root — of a word
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. current — electric
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — of the sea

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