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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: root · sharp · bound · cell · kick · scale · current · ground

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. cell — a phone
  3. root — of a plant
  4. scale — size or range
  5. cell — in biology
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. root — of a word
  10. root — the cause
  11. kick — in football
  12. bound — obliged
  13. sharp — clever
  14. current — electric
  15. current — of water
  16. ground — crushed
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bound — tied together
  20. ground — a position
  21. current — happening now
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. kick — a thrill

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