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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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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: branch · current · bay · roll · root · kick · ruler · club

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. root — the cause
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. current — electric
  6. club — for dancing
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. current — happening now
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. branch — a division
  12. club — for golf
  13. current — of water
  14. roll — a list
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. kick — in football
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — of a plant
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. roll — a cake

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