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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: roll · game · tear · root · current · club · plane · season

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. game — a match
  3. current — electric
  4. season — in sport
  5. tear — from crying
  6. roll — a cake
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — of water
  10. roll — a list
  11. root — of a word
  12. plane — a tool
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. tear — to rip
  15. root — the cause
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — a group
  19. season — of the year
  20. club — for golf
  21. root — of a plant
  22. tear — from crying
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — wild animals

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