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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 120 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: chair · present · chest · ball · current · track · wave · root

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. track — a path
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. present — a gift
  5. current — of water
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. chest — of your body
  8. track — a song
  9. ball — a dance
  10. track — to keep track
  11. current — happening now
  12. root — of a word
  13. chest — a box
  14. ball — a great time
  15. chest — of your body
  16. current — electric
  17. root — of a plant
  18. chair — a leader
  19. root — the cause
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. present — the time now
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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