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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: deal · cold · ball · toast · bulb · root · current · rock

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. deal — to handle
  3. root — the cause
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bulb — for light
  6. toast — bread
  7. root — of a plant
  8. current — happening now
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. rock — a stone
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. cold — not warm
  14. current — electric
  15. ball — a great time
  16. bulb — for light
  17. current — of water
  18. root — of a word
  19. cold — an illness
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. rock — music
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. deal — an agreement

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