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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: current · bound · root · kid · rest · ground · drill · fan

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. current — happening now
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. bound — certain
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. root — the cause
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. bound — tied together
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. kid — child
  12. root — of a plant
  13. kid — to tease
  14. root — of a word
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ground — a position
  17. rest — what's left
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. current — of water
  20. current — electric
  21. drill — the tool
  22. ground — crushed
  23. bound — obliged
  24. drill — army training

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