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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: track · current · drill · ball · root · pitcher · rest · present

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. ball — a great time
  3. drill — a practice
  4. root — of a plant
  5. current — of water
  6. current — happening now
  7. root — the cause
  8. present — there
  9. drill — the tool
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rest — what's left
  12. root — of a word
  13. drill — army training
  14. track — a path
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. rest — what's left
  17. present — the time now
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. ball — a dance
  20. rest — a break
  21. track — to keep track
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. track — a song
  24. present — a gift

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