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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.

Words on the sheet
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: current · press · cold · board · date · root · chair · sharp

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. cold — an illness
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. root — of a plant
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. cold — not warm
  8. current — of water
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. press — newspapers
  11. current — happening now
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. board — a committee
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. press — a publisher
  17. date — the fruit
  18. press — to push
  19. current — electric
  20. chair — a leader
  21. board — to get on
  22. sharp — clever
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a word

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