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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: bulb · current · hand · squash · track · board · cell · root

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. hand — in cards
  3. squash — to crush
  4. current — of water
  5. current — electric
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. track — a path
  8. squash — the sport
  9. root — the cause
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. track — to keep track
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. track — a song
  14. board — a committee
  15. root — of a word
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cell — a phone
  18. hand — help
  19. board — to get on
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. current — happening now
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. cell — in a prison

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