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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: toast · current · clip · game · cell · root · can · pass

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. cell — a phone
  3. root — the cause
  4. game — wild animals
  5. pass — a permit
  6. root — of a plant
  7. can — a tin
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. can — a tin
  10. root — of a word
  11. can — to be able to
  12. game — a match
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — of water
  18. clip — for paper
  19. toast — bread
  20. current — electric
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. clip — a video
  23. clip — to cut
  24. cell — in biology

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