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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: rush · root · pound · craft · band · hand · net · current

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. craft — a skill
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. current — electric
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pound — a weight
  10. net — in sport
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. band — a music group
  13. craft — boats
  14. hand — help
  15. band — a ring
  16. rush — hurry
  17. current — happening now
  18. hand — in cards
  19. current — of water
  20. net — for catching
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — the cause
  24. net — after costs

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