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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: mark · court · bore · chip · sharp · root · ruler · current

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bore — to tire
  5. court — for sport
  6. current — electric
  7. current — of water
  8. court — of a king
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. root — of a plant
  11. bore — to drill
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. court — of law
  14. root — the cause
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mark — a grade
  19. sharp — clever
  20. current — happening now
  21. root — of a word
  22. chip — for betting
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. chip — in a computer

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