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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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468
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: mate · chip · bay · track · root · present · net · current

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. mate — to breed
  3. chip — to eat
  4. current — happening now
  5. present — there
  6. mate — a partner
  7. track — a path
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. track — a song
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. net — in sport
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. root — of a plant
  14. current — of water
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a word
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — for catching
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — a gift
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. mate — a friend
  24. chip — for betting

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