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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 116 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: rash · stem · current · object · court · face · root · season

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. root — of a plant
  3. stem — to come from
  4. current — happening now
  5. season — of the year
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — to protest
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. court — for sport
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. current — electric
  13. root — of a word
  14. face — to confront
  15. court — of law
  16. object — a thing
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. season — in sport
  19. court — of a king
  20. current — of water
  21. rash — hasty
  22. face — part of the head
  23. root — the cause
  24. face — to point toward

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