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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: track · root · current · present · tear · rock · date · kick

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. rock — music
  3. date — the fruit
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. root — of a word
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. current — electric
  11. root — of a plant
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. rock — a stone
  14. present — the time now
  15. tear — from crying
  16. present — there
  17. current — happening now
  18. tear — from crying
  19. current — of water
  20. present — a gift
  21. track — a song
  22. tear — to rip
  23. track — a path
  24. track — to keep track

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