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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: mouse · press · court · current · root · band · date · scale

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. current — happening now
  3. court — of law
  4. root — the cause
  5. band — a ring
  6. press — newspapers
  7. band — a music group
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. scale — in music
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. court — of a king
  12. press — to push
  13. root — of a word
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. current — of water
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. court — for sport
  19. root — of a plant
  20. current — electric
  21. press — a publisher
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — size or range

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